Naruto: Another Road
by Desiderio
Summary: From the very beginning, to the very end, it's the small things in life that make it worth living. Knowing this, it should be acknowledged that some people never get the chance to live the right way. What happens then, when out of an infinite amount of times, this time, two certain individuals are able to meet under non-hostile conditions? And, why are they...linked through chakra?
1. And So It Begins

Author's Note: "Hello Everybody! My Name Is Markiplier, and Welcome To Let's Play-"

Oops, wrong show. LOL.

Anyone gonna get that reference? No? Ah whatever. Anyway, welcome everyone, it's been at least two years since I last did anything here on Fanfiction, and let me tell you, a lot has gone through my head since then.

The word count of this chapter is 11,332 WITHOUT my notes here at the beginning and at the end, if you wanted to know.

For the past few years, I've really been thinking hard on a Fanfiction that concerns Naruto, more-so who I really feel he would best lead a life with if he were to ever really pair with somebody.

Of course, if you've been following the canon, you'll know that a bunch of weird shit has been happening. Now I'm not like most other critics that might be pissed off about what's going on, but I have to admit that I'm starting to really hate Madara.

Anyway, let's get to why I'm making this story.

Ever since I first saw Naruto, I always liked the idea of him and Hinata getting together. However, as time has gone by, and I've learned more from my own experience's, the experiences of others, and doing my best to try and understand each and every character that I like in the Naruto world, I've come to one conclusion.

Naruto as a person in the canon would make many people eventually think that yeah, he deserves any girl that's been introduced thus far because of who he is. Me personally, I wouldn't even _know_ how to handle that many women, which is why I admire people who are able to make a harem story that makes sense instead of making it pure smut.

But, as I've watched every single episode, every filler episode, and tried to get my hands on every single manga chapter, for some reason, I keep finding my preference going to Naruto and Tayuya being together.

Other then that, it would be Naruto and Ryūzetsu.

Now, in the case of Tayuya, it's because of the way she died, and because of the fact like with most stories of any kind, there's always _some_ sort of bullshit reason or plot hole that allows stupid shit to happen.

If Tayuya was really Jonin-level, then _how the fuck_ did she lose to a guy with only a brain? Yes, I know Shikamaru is a genius, but being Jonin-level should mean that Tayuya would have had far more skills and _weapons_ to take down her opposition, _especially_ if she's supposed to be one of Orochimaru's elites. She was apparently under his employ for most of her life, and in only two years or more, look what Sasuke was able to achieve from his training.

In her fight with him, she was really about to beat him it seems. Then, out of the blue, the cliché of someone coming in to the rescue at the last second is played.

Ugh, sometimes, I really hate what Kishimoto does with his work.

As for Ryūzetsu, the first and foremost reason is because she was 'just a movie character.' Any time a movie based on a series comes out, a lot of horse-shit is thrown on the plate just to make it suspenseful, and I would think given what little history she had, even if a bit cheesy like Kishimoto likes to make a lot of things, I feel if she were a real canon character, more could have happened.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, I need you all to know that Naruto will NOT learn to use Kurama's chakra, and in fact, he may not even learn Senjutsu for one specific reason. A lot of things have been introduced in the canon, whether it be jutsu, methods, tactics, and all that other kind of stuff.

In this story, Naruto gains something. In the canon, it's not possible because of his heritage, but I will offer that 'science' has allowed Naruto to gain _one_ certain ability. It's not something I made up. It's in the actual canon universe, and it's so strong in fact that Naruto probably won't need to learn Senjutsu or to control Kurama's chakra...that, and this particular thing is what Naruto needs to be able to summon multiple creatures without a contract.

If you've already figured out what it is by me saying that, I understand if you might think 'yeah, that is _definitely_ gonna make Naruto overpowered.' BUT, I assure you, he won't use it unless his normal abilities aren't strong enough to get him through a tight spot.

Anyway, go on and read. I'll give you more of my thoughts at the end of this chapter.

Enjoy. :D

I hope. :3

Naruto

Another Road

Chapter One

And So It Begins

* * *

"Haaahhh...hhhh-hhhhaaaaa...Well, what the hell are you idiots standing around for?! Get out there and deal with those brats!"

With the facility breached, the short shipping tyrant was getting more and more nervous. Of all the damn things, first Zabuza takes his ridiculously sweet time, and now he finds that his estate is being attacked, by _kids_ no less. His two prime body guards were nowhere to be found, so he had to make his way out of there on his own.

"Heehhh-hhaaaah-hhhaaa!" By now his breathing was getting a little strained. As one could guess, he didn't work out much, so he was more than a little overweight. "Gotta get out...argh, damnit." He moved to a corner, listening to the sounds of fighting, or more accurately, the sounds of his henchmen getting the snot beat out of them. "Wasting all that damn money just to get a bunch of losers to try and protect this place..."

Looking around, he made sure the coast was clear. Heading out through the back was probably his best bet, so he ran for it. {_Almost there, almost there!_} He had never really thought it would happen, but this was the first time in _years_ he had run to the point where he felt like throwing up all over the place.

"Ahh, ah shit...hahhh..." By now he had made it down through most of the building, so a few moments of rest wouldn't kill him, or at least he hoped. With the sounds of fighting well behind him, he knew he was in the clear.

BOOM

"OH SHIT!"

It wasn't so safe after all, and the force of the wall exploding knocked him right off his feet and flat on his face.

Some would say that you can't outrun the consequences of your actions, and for the tyrant, you couldn't be farther from the truth. Having tiredly rolled over and trying to get away from the new renovation to the hallway, he stopped in apprehension when he saw a shadow coming out of the smoke. "You know Gato, I hear you're one of the worst leeches in the history of the world. When I saw how bad off the Land Of Waves is doing because of you, I started to believe it."

Gato remained quiet, _knowing_ he was just caught.

Walking out of the smoke, wearing camo cargo pants, the colors white, gray and black, a black long-sleeved spandex shirt with an orange spiral in the center of the chest, his sharp blue eyes came into view. "Zabuza's not going to be able to save you right now. He's out of it at the moment." He didn't look angry, but he had a look of disapproval.

"Naruto, you still there?" The voice of a female came from behind. "Yeah, go get Sasuke. Gato's right here. He's not going anywhere." His eyes never left the older man, and Naruto walked towards him. "W-Wait! Don't kill me!" The young blond rolled his eyes. "Relax you old geezer, I'm not _going_ to kill you. But, I _am_ going to tie you up, or at least my teammate is."

Interestingly enough, once Naruto was close enough to Gato, he sat down Indian-style. "Why the hell did you turn out the way you did?" He suddenly asked.

Gato blinked, not having expected that at all. "Huh?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "I'm asking why you ended up being such a douche bag. You have a whole frickin industry, and I'm _guessing_ it's successful more out of what it deals in instead of you draining wealth from the people. Is that how all people get when they get rich? Do they all suddenly decide they want to be in control of _a lot_ of things _just_ because they can?"

"..." Gato didn't know how he should answer the boy's question.

The sound of running came to their ears.

"Why do I get the feeling this isn't the end of it?" Sasuke came into view. He wore black pants, a black, sleeveless under-armor shirt, black armbands on his biceps, and another pair of bands on his wrists. Lastly, he had a Katana tied down by his belt. "Because Zabuza is still out there. Just get over here and tie him up." Naruto stood up, his look of disapproval still not leaving his face. "Tazuna needs to know that _this_ guy right here is out of the game."

"..." Gato just sat there, because he knew he wouldn't be able to get himself out of this one. Taking out the wire he liked to use in his jutsu, Sasuke approached. "Stand up so it won't hurt."

Naruto on the other hand made a shadow clone. "I'm gonna go get something to eat and give everybody the good news. I'll have my clone go to Kakashi-sensei and Tazuna. Any idea where we should turn him in?" The question made sense. There weren't any official authorities that weren't Gato's lackeys, so what would they do?

"Leave that to me and Sasuke-kun." Smile on her face, Sakura walked closer to her crush and watched him do his work. Said person had tied Gato's hands behind his back, deciding that letting him walk instead of being completely bound was more appropriate.

Naruto nodded, looking a little...off. It was really that he wasn't smiling like usual that seemed to be noticeable.

"Okay."

OOO

It was cloudy today, and just cool enough to make your skin get a little chilled. Naruto didn't mind it much. Having gotten closer to the town, he could already see the children running towards him. "Naruto!"

His spirits lifting, he grinned. "Guess what? I got some good news for you guys."

With ten different children surrounding him, he knew word would spread fast. All of them started grabbing onto his arms and hugging him, each one urging him to tell them what he had on his mind. "Gato, the big bad guy is no longer in power here. So, I want all of you to go tell your family and friends that they don't have to worry about the guy or his thugs. Go on, get out there and tell everyone!" Grin on his face, he urged them and they all started to cheer.

Within a few seconds, they had all run off. {_Now...time to go get me some ramen._}

Over the past month he had been here, it had been a blast. By this point, everything looked much more clean and refined. Having been the one who had helped everyone here with his shadow clones, he couldn't help but feel proud of himself.

As he walked into town, he was greeted by just about everyone.

"Yo Naruto!"

"Morning Naruto-kun!"

"Hey there punk!"

Looking around at the stalls though, he found the one he was looking for...and felt a familiar chakra. Well actually, he had felt it long before he had even walked into the village, and homed in on it. He walked in, and saw two other customers. One was a male, and the other was a female. The girl wore a red shirt, black shorts, and a strange hat with a style he hadn't seen before.

She was the one with the familiar chakra signature.

"Hey Naruto, what can I get for you?" Nobuo, the young waiter, looked at him with a grin just as bright as Naruto's own. How could he _not_ be excited to see the greatest shinobi to pass through the Land Of Waves, come into his father's restaurant? Seating himself one seat away from the female with the crimson hair, he sighed. "Pork ramen sounds real good right now. Maybe a few bowls."

"Sure thing. Dad! Did you hear that?"

"Yeah yeah hold onto your shirt!" They heard the man shout from the back.

Knowing Naruto was in a rather quiet mood, Nobuo decided to speak with him. "So what's the matter? You look like you broke up with your girlfriend or something." True enough, Naruto wasn't smiling, but he at least wasn't frowning. "Eh, I was just thinking on some things." From the way he said it, it seemed he didn't want to talk about it.

"Alright, alright, don't get moody on me now. I'll be in the back, gotta do some cleaning up."

"..."

Naruto reached into one of the pouches he had on his person. "You guys new in town? I haven't seen either of you before." He gave a smile he had been waiting to give all month to the right person, and it so happened to be the female sitting on his right. He took out an orange and started to peel it.

He wasn't surprised to notice the girl slightly stiffen, but he was rather intrigued when the male's emerald green eyes turned to him. "We are simply passing through. Naruto is it? You seem to be famous in this town." Naruto noticed how the girl kept her chin on her hand as if he wasn't even there. Or, maybe she was just waiting for her order to get here.

"Yeah, I'm a shinobi you see, and my team and I were assigned a mission to guard some old guy while he builds that bridge you see out at the front of the village. He's almost done with it. So, what are your names if you don't mind me asking?" When he gave them his friendly expression, neither of the other two could be so rude as to deny him his answer.

"I am Kimimaro."

The girl popped her fingers.

Then, she decided to make eye contact with him. "The name is Tayuya. Don't go hitting on me and I won't rip your balls off." Naruto blinked in surprise and looked at her for a few seconds.

"...hehheheh, okay, I wasn't planning on it but you got my solid promise that I won't." The girl continued to glare at him, unsure what to make of his expression of sunshine. She wasn't used to people being so friendly towards her. "Good." Thinking the conversation was done, she went back to waiting for her meal.

Naruto took a bite out of his orange to mask his sudden frown. He knew Tayuya had known who he was before he had even walked into the ramen stand, because _she_ was the one who had been following him on that day...

The day he had sung to all the children and a lot of the people of the town.

"Tayuya and Kimimaro. Cool. Are you guys a couple?" He became curious when they both stared at him at the same time. "Fuck no." Tayuya gave him a furious expression for even suggesting it. "We are simply comrades." Kimimaro took his eyes off of him when the waiter came with his order along with Tayuya's.

"Here you are, one house special and one beef ramen." As he placed them down, he grinned and turned to Naruto. "So, you planning on eating all the ramen we got?" Though Nobuo was actually a little scared that that may in fact happen, it was still fun to poke fun at the boy. "Haha, nope. I still have a mission. I'll be needing to leave when I'm done. Tazuna isn't exactly safe right now."

Tayuya listened with little interest, while Kimimaro didn't seem to care. "Why's that?" The waiter suddenly looked concerned. Naruto scratched his forehead with a look of contemplation. "This dude called Zabuza Momochi was hired by Gato to kill Tazuna. We beat him the last time we met but...my sensei has the feeling that he isn't really dead. So yeah, if he's alive, I'll be needing to get back to my teammates to help guard the old drunk. Anyway where's my food damn it?" He finished with a grin.

Though he still seemed a little worried, the waiter nodded nonetheless with a half-smirk. "I'll go check."

It was at this time that Naruto realized something peculiar. When the orders of the other two had come, he had assumed that the house special was for Kimimaro, the _male._ Imagine his surprise when he found that it was _Tayuya_ who was eating from the large bowl of many ingredients, like crab, a few vegetables, chopped sui, surprisingly, some _corn_, noodles of course, and a bunch of other things that made Naruto's mouth water.

"Wow."

Tayuya arched her eyebrow as Naruto looked at her, and turned to see his surprised expression. "The fuck are you staring at?" Naruto flinched at her sudden outburst, but he ended up smiling. "You're the first girl around my age I've seen that isn't afraid to eat a big meal. I like that." For the most part, Tayuya simply kept a glare on him but was curious nonetheless. "...Don't you hang out with other kunoichi?" Since Naruto seemed to already know that they were ninja, the girl wasn't hesitant about indirectly alluding to it.

"Well yeah, but most of the time my female teammate is always...'watching' her weight. She's a really good friend but, _really_, you know? A big girl needs a big meal, and while I don't expect her to eat as much as a stamina freak like me, she could use a little extra meat on her." As Tayuya gave him a simple 'yeah,' he ended up growing a coy grin at what he was about to say. "I like my girls _thick_." As he expected, the redhead suddenly swallowed her mouthful of noodles a bit harshly and started banging on her chest.

"Breath, just breaaath!" Naruto chuckled as the girl tried to clear her windpipe out. Kimimaro kept quiet, but continued to listen. Meanwhile, Naruto's order arrived. Both the chef and his son came and sat his three bowls down. "Naruto, don't go screwing with my other customers ya hear?" The jovial old man said with a smile.

Naruto snickered. "I couldn't resist."

"So what are you up to today eh? I thought you and Sasuke were supposed to be training." True enough, the blond and the Uchiha had been training quite a bit since they got here in the _Land of Waves_. "I guess you haven't heard yet, and that's probably my fault because I didn't say anything. This morning I went to that fucker Gato's place and took him down."

You could say both of men were pretty shocked to hear that. "You did what?" Was the most intelligent question the old chef could ask. Naruto didn't think too much of it, so he just grinned. "You heard me." Whether he cared about answering any more answers or not wasn't very apparent, because in very Naruto-ish fashion, the blond started slurping down his meal.

"Hey asshole, what kind of perv are you?" Tayuya, having regained her ability to breath, glared at the blond, not caring about the presence of the other two. Naruto almost wheezed because of the fit of giggles that threatened to come out, but he managed to keep it under control. "What? I can't like girls like that? I don't have anything against skinny girls but they aren't exactly my type." Naruto gave her a look of curiosity, but somehow the girl just _knew_ he was being a tease.

She looked down at herself self-consciously, which was something she had never done before, and looked straight back at him. "So does that make me shit-on-a-shingle or what?" The strangest feeling came over her as Naruto looked her up and down. "You're still growing obviously, but you're more of a woman than all except one of the girls I know. How's that?" He asked with a playful grin.

"Didn't I say _not_ to hit on me?" She asked in irritation. Naruto held up his hands defensively, but it was clear that he was amused. "Hey, you asked a question and I answered it. Ain't that enough?" He asked innocently. Surprisingly, it was Kimimaro who spoke. "He has a point." The redhead looked at her comrade and then back at Naruto, who wiggled his fingers as he kept his hands up. Though she didn't know why, she couldn't stay mad at that friendly, childish smile. "Argh, whatever." She went straight back to eating.

The chef had long since gone back to the back, a spring in his step, and Nobuo cleaned up what there was to clean up as he waited for more customers to come by.

"You guys must get around a lot huh?" Naruto asked as though nothing happened. "You know this is the first mission I've had where I've been able to leave my village. I guess that's one step towards the things I wanna do." So it seemed that the blond was quite at ease with these two knew characters, but maybe it was just that polite and gentle curiousness he had about other things that urged him to speak up.

With the mention of the 'things he wants to do,' he knew he got their attention, more-so Kimimaro's. "What sorts of things?" Since the bone-bender himself had an ultimate goal, perhaps it would be helpful to hear someone else's, no? "I guess you could call them dreams and ambitions. I've had a lot to think about since I decided I wanted to be a shinobi." The fact that the blond was more quiet than before was enough to make the other two curious. He continued. "I know it sounds corny, but I have precious people that I would do anything for. One of them is a woman who used to be my babysitter." He grew a fond grin as he thought about it.

"And?" Kimimaro pressed. Tayuya had felt the sudden shift in the boy's aura, so she listened intently.

"This is where my one _ambition_ comes from. Her name is Anko. I've known her for a long time because she's a family friend. At this point though she doesn't have anybody but her friends. I can understand why after what happened to her." Naruto surprisingly slowed his pace halfway through his second bowl. It was obvious that what he was thinking about was putting a bit of a damper on his spirit. Sensing that the other two were waiting, he continued. "Anko-chan had it kind of hard when she was a kid. When she became a ninja, she started as a student to one of the Legendary Sannin of The Hidden Leaf Village, a guy named Orochimaru."

Because Naruto had started to slurp down the rest of the broth from his bowl, he didn't see Tayuya's body tense or the hardening of Kimimaro's expression.

"Since she didn't have anyone back then, Orochimaru had kinda become everything to her. She told me how he was _pretty fuckin smart_ as she puts it. No matter the time or what, she was almost always around him, hoping he would teach her more on how to be 'an awesome ninja.' Since Orochimaru was a well respected dude at the time and was trusted by the Third Hokage, he, like the other two Sannin had a lot of freedom, travelling being one of the things. Anko-chan always liked to go travelling with her favorite sensei because he was such a cool guy at the time. The Hokage, _the old one_..." Naruto snickered as he said this, "...told me that Orochimaru was one of those natural geniuses born once a generation, _without_ any sort of kekkei genkai or something else of the sort."

So far, the description of the Snake Sannin was spot on with Kimimaro. That, however, was about to change.

"It's not like she should have expected it, but just from the way the guy _looks,_ I think she should have been more cautious. If she did, she wouldn't have been screwed over." As Naruto said this, Tayuya _swore_ she felt something flicker from him. The blond scratched the back of his head sheepishly, realizing how deep he was getting. "Uh, heheh, sorry. I don't even know you guys and I'm over here giving you somebody else's life-story, ha, sorry." And yes, it _was_ strange. Why would anybody suddenly get _that_ into telling other people about themselves?

Having become even more curious, Tayuya spoke up as she cracked open the leg of the crab. "Weirdo. Might as well tell us the rest of it. How exactly was this Anko chick 'screwed over?'" She could have been a bit more respectful, but when it came to the redhead, one shouldn't really expect any of it.

Naruto's grin became a little strained as he poked at the noodles in his last bowl. "You know, I've never been betrayed before. All the people I care about are good honest people. Anko-chan was _my_ age when Orochimaru showed her the real bastard he is." Kimimaro had to restrain himself from doing anything rash, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little...strange as Naruto told the story.

For whatever the reason, Kimimaro felt that perhaps, he was about to hear something he needed, yet _didn't_ want to hear.

Tayuya was _kind of_ in the same boat, but she wasn't nearly as infatuated with the Sannin as the Kaguya was.

'tap'

'tap'

'tap'

Naruto repeatedly, yet quietly tapped his food. "...I've always thought that a thing like revenge was pretty dumb, but, after growing older, I kind of realized that taking care of business _has_ to be done. Now I'm not plotting to kill Orochimaru, but I _am_ going to make him answer for all the shit he's done. It's the only ambition I have. The reason I have it is because of what he did to Anko-chan and because of the man he is."

"Will you cut the suspense shit out and just tell us already?" Tayuya of course was getting irritated by the dragging-on of the story.

This time Naruto didn't chuckle. "Orochimaru had been there for her, always promising her a better place in the world, always helping her when she needed it, and training her to be stronger. But it wasn't for the right reason. He was waiting for her to make a choice after everything he taught her _just_ to see if she would be 'useful' for whatever fucked up plans he had. When he showed her what he had been working on, like capturing innocent people and experimenting on them and not caring if and how they died, she realized he wasn't the hero she thought he was. When it was apparent to him that she didn't like what he was doing, he made his decision _on the spot_."

By now, Naruto's muscles had flexed by mere reflex because of how angry he was getting. "He abandoned her, leaving her to die."

It was the last thing he said that made Tayuya and Kimimaro flinch. Under most circumstances a story like that wouldn't have bothered them at all, but to hear that _their own master,_ the one who made those same kind of promises to them, was more than simply 'troubling.' Kimimaro, being absolutely loyal to the Sannin, _really_ wanted to tell Naruto off and tell him it wasn't true.

But how could he? First off, he and Tayuya were undercover. Second, Naruto just explained to them a real personal experience. What the hell was he _supposed_ to do?

"So yeah, that's about it for my ambition. I've never had a reason to hate anybody, but...yeah." Naruto finished his last bowl and set the chopsticks aside, looking at them with a half-smile. He was expecting looks of shock, and one could easily say that he didn't know the _actual_ reason why they were, but hey, all in good time. "Am I weird?" He asked with an inquisitive expression, tilting his head.

Good question. Was he?

"More like a strange dumbfuck. Do you get your ideas from comic books?" Tayuya was the first to get over the shock. Naruto stuck out his tongue. "Nope. Do you get your bad mouth from...from...uh..." He looked up as he scratched his head. "You know I actually don't have a good comeback." He grinned that goofy grin of his as Tayuya allowed a smirk on her face. "That's what I thought."

Naruto noticed that Kimimaro was showing signs of...something. "Hey uh, you alright?" Kimimaro glanced at him. "I am fine."

The female however knew how bothered he was, and though she would have been able to get kick out of it, this new piece of information had just shaken her trust in her superior. "Don't mind him. He's even stranger than you." She told the blond.

"Right. Heh, so um, you guys gonna be headed somewhere any time soon?" Naruto's innocent question was accompanied with a nonchalant look.

He couldn't have possibly known how his question had piqued the girl's interest. "Not unless the albino here says otherwise." She didn't look at him, but the girl's unspoken question became evident to Kimimaro. He sighed and finished his ramen. "I have some things to do at the moment, though I believe Tayuya here would most likely not mind being babysat for the rest of the day."

Naruto and the old chef, who was preparing another customers order, had to fight to not snicker when the girl gawked at her superior. "Excuse me you bone-bending freak?!" Kimimaro's stern expression came into play when he stood up. "Here is the money for our meals. I'm off. When you are done spending time with Naruto, you are to report back to your duties."

Ignoring the girl's curses, he walked out of the stand and left.

"..." It was obvious that Tayuya was more than irritated. "I'm guessing he likes to get on your nerves. I was just asking you guys a question cuz I think you guys are unique."

Tayuya looked sternly at him. "Well, getting some time off away from that faggot would be nice for a change." She was caught off guard by the smile that Naruto gave her. "Same here. I'm just about done with my personal part of our mission, and my teammates can keep an eye on the geezer. If you'd like, we can just talk and walk around town."

Every circumstance in which a stranger, whether it was a male or female that seemed to have any sort of interest in her, she'd flat out deny them and be on her way. Naruto however, had caught _her_ attention a month ago. From then to this point, he had done an astounding job of helping the people of the Land Of Waves, and there was just something about him that was enough to not make her suspicious of him.

Well, other then the fact that she could sense his chakra.

She shrugged. "Sure, whatever. Just don't go thinking this is a date." For whatever the reason, she wanted to smirk, mainly because she had managed a small joke, even though she sounded serious. She heard Naruto laugh lightly. "Like I said, you don't have to worry about that. I just like making friends with people instead of being an ass." With that, Naruto took out another orange and started to eat it, waiting for Tayuya to finish her meal.

'munch munch'

'munch munch'

As he waited, he thought about the strange circumstances that involved himself and the girl. At first glance, Naruto did not know what to make of Tayuya when he first saw her. Back during the time when he sensed her chakra following him, he had assumed that she was...a very relaxed person. He didn't know why, but she was the only person who's chakra he could sense, and it was starting to bug him.

The reason this was so prevalent in his mind was because of the fact that he _wasn't_ a sensor type shinobi. Why could he sense the girl's chakra? Naruto knew for a long time that he was a rather strange person, given the...circumstances and things he has learned as he's grown older.

He snuck a glance or two, and he had to admit, she was very pretty when she wasn't glaring. However, the look of 'don't talk to me' on her face just didn't seem right, but he could understand why she was like that. Given how she had spoken to him, it seemed she usually got a lot of unwanted attention, enough to the point that she had apparently decided to start making herself out to be someone you didn't want to approach.

Regardless, it was just the fact that Naruto could sense her without any of his normal five senses that made him want to know more about her. However, since she was a female, he _really_ didn't want to give her the impression that he was trying to get into her pants. He already knew how men could be, and that's most likely why many women preferred to keep their distance from males who looked a bit too interested.

Tayuya finished her meal.

"Ahhh, that was fucking great." The look of content on the girl's face was confirmation of her statement. "You're welcome kid, anything else you'd like?" Nobuo came up and took her dish with a smile as his father spoke to her. Tayuya looked at the menu and saw that the money Kimimaro had given her was barely enough to pay for the meal.

"Eh, I don't have enough money to order anything else."

"I'll pay." Strangely enough, Naruto hadn't eaten fifteen bowls like usual, but he didn't think much of it. Tayuya looked at him inquisitively. "We can order a basket of dumplings and go if you'd like." To see him grin that goofy grin like that made Tayuya's mouth twitch upwards, but she suppressed it. Turning to the old man, she nodded. "That sounds good. Maybe some dango and rice balls would be nice too."

"You heard the lady."

Naruto looked very pleased and took out the appropriate amount of cash out. "You know I don't see enough of that." He suddenly said as he paid. When she looked at him, he waited for the question. "See what?" When she didn't glare, Naruto knew he was doing something right.

"A lot of girls I know never eat a big meal like you just did or have an appetite big enough to want more. Like I said, a big girl needs a big meal, just like any guy. I like that." Since it was obvious that he wasn't making a fat joke, she just turned away and shrugged. "Most girls don't know how to enjoy a good meal."

"Right? Being a shinobi kinda demands it." That was when the smell of their next order immediately hit their noses, and at exactly the same time, their stomachs started to growl.

Tayuya grabbed her belly in slight surprise and lightly blushed. Naruto on the other hand chuckled. "Looks like we were right to order more food huh?" For him it was obvious because he didn't eat as much ramen as usual, but Tayuya had eaten a large bowl of food, which had actually been more food than the three bowls of ramen he had, so it was a bit surprising.

"I guess so."

**Ten Minutes Later...**

Since it was morning time right now, Naruto knew he likely had almost an entire day to figure Tayuya out. On the surface of how he thought of it, he kind of felt disrespectful for some reason, but knowing that trying to figure out this little conundrum wouldn't hurt anybody, he just went with it. And, being the gentlemen, he was the one to carry the basket of food. Walking through the streets, Tayuya observed how the people greeted Naruto. Unsurprisingly, when their eyes landed on _her_, she then heard them whispering to themselves about 'Naruto and that pretty girl.'

It was nothing negative, but it was a little annoying. "Kimimaro was right, the people fucking worship you." Naruto took note of the fact that she didn't walk like a girl. He found it cool to see that she was the first tomboy he had ever met. "Well, I did help just about every single person here get back on their feet. So what about you, hmm? Where are you from?"

Her expression hardened a little. "A place called The Land Of Rice Fields. Been living there since I was a kid." Since most of her life wasn't great, _and_ that she wasn't a good guy, she knew she had to stop talking about it. "I was an orphan. I don't like to talk about it much." She offered that just to make sure he wouldn't ask any questions that would blow her cover.

The sudden look of understanding on Naruto's face surprised her, but she didn't show it. "Sorry. I didn't know." Reaching into the bag, he offered her a dumpling. When he just smiled at her, she took it with a simple nod. "Thanks. So where are we headed? I'm getting sick of all these people looking at me."

"Well, I was thinking the park, so we could sit down and eat. How's that sound?" To see him get back into high spirits was a little amazing if you asked her. "Sounds good." She didn't address it, but since she started talking to him, she couldn't help but notice how much more..._bright_, he seemed to be. When he had walked into the ramen stand, he looked a bit troubled. She could clearly see that he seemed to be in a much better mood now that she was around him. It puzzled her, because usually she could see that any guy interested in her was mostly trying to sweet-talk her.

Naruto wasn't trying to do that.

Eyes in his direction and with him a few steps ahead of her, she tried to figure him out. What had initially caught her attention about him was his ability to sing, at least, the song he apparently made up a month ago. It was something she would _never_ forget. As little as she cared for the lives of others, there was just something that called to her when it came to him. The first thing was that she could _sense_ his chakra, something she could never do before. But why only him? Why could she only sense _his_ chakra?

She had to admit, it was very warm and welcoming. Being herself however, anyone looking would just see a girl who seemed to be irritated to be spending time with him. She was that good at keeping her true intents hidden. However...as she was spending more and more time with him, and even though it hadn't been that long at this point, she felt something strange. Not like a presence or anything, but just...something in how she was perceiving everything.

She couldn't understand it just yet.

"You don't talk much do you?" She was glad she hadn't been looking at him when he turned to look at her with a grin. "I don't have any friends, and I've never really cared about making any. No offense." She had expecting that look of discontent or a little annoyance, maybe even anger.

She wasn't expecting a smile. "You had a rough childhood huh?" He asked softly. She looked at him, a little surprise showing. Not that he figured that out, but more because he seemed to actually _care_. "I've seen it happen a lot. The same was for me. A lot of the people in my village never liked me my whole life."

"..." As one can imagine, she was confused by this new bit of information. "Why the fuck would people hate someone who's as friendly as _you_? Unless there's something about you I don't like that you haven't shown me yet." Naruto couldn't help but feeling a little discomfort when she looked at him suspiciously.

In a way she hadn't expected, Tayuya felt a tad bit guilty when she saw Naruto turn away and gain a slightly downtrodden expression. "Um, it's not like I had any control of it when I was born, but, well, let's sit down and I'll tell you." Since they had already made it to the park that was overlooking the ocean, Naruto sat down on a bench and patted the spot next to him, before putting the basket there.

Remaining quiet and a little on guard for whatever the reason, Tayuya sat down, taking out a wrapped plate with dango inside of it. "So what's the big mystery?" With the clouds covering the sky and the slightly chilly breeze, she couldn't help but shiver a bit.

The bench was especially cold.

Naruto looked at her for a second, and then took out a scroll. "Here, I'll let you borrow this." Swiping his hand over one of the seals, a tuft of smoke came out and a black, warm looking cover appeared. Tayuya was taken aback by his generosity. "Go on, get up, I know your butt is probably freezing because of the bench." His friendly smile once again came into view.

"Why the fuck are you being so nice to me?" Having stood up, she still had to crane her neck up to look at his bewildered expression. He then smiled again in that charming way of his. "Because it's not right to be an ass to a girl who's actually wasting her time letting me get to know her. Besides, do you really need an excuse to be polite?" When she just tilted her head with that cute, 'trying-to-figure-you-out' expression, he chuckled.

"Here you go." He placed it on the bench and waited for her to sit down on it. Still eyeing him, she turned and sat down, allowing him to cover her up. "There, isn't that better?" When he crossed his arms with a smile, it was easy to see the defined muscles he had.

"Hn."

Even when she just decided to eat instead of answer, he couldn't help but keep his grin in place.

He could tell from sensing her chakra that she was pleased, even if she didn't show it.

"You're welcome." He sat back down and took out a rice ball. "I guess people aren't very nice to you huh?" With her cheeks full and looking at him, he wanted to laugh, but didn't. "What was your first clue?" Though she didn't say it or admit it, even to herself, she couldn't help but feel _good_ because of the fact that Naruto was actually giving her much needed attention and consideration.

He was the first person to ever do that.

"People who never had anyone and end up growing in a 'dog-eat-dog' environment usually stay away from everyone else, or you know, always keep their guard up around strangers. I don't blame you, and I'd rather you do that instead of being quick to like a complete stranger. At least, that's how just about all _girls_ should be. Most guys are usually rowdy and assholes."

Once again he surprised her with the amount of truth and respect he was giving her. "I'm glad some people other than me actually understand that. Back where I live I've had to work my ass off and get a reputation for being violent and the kind of girl no one wants to be around. Otherwise, guys come from anywhere just to try and 'get to know' me."

Naruto's expression of..._something_, caught her attention. "That kind of shit pisses me off." It had occurred to Naruto that he still hadn't told Tayuya about the thing she was suspicious about earlier, but the current subject was more important. Tayuya listened as he continued. "It's one of the reasons why I'm always trying to be respectful to strangers. I want people to know I'm not that kind of guy. I know you probably think I'm weird, but that's a given. I really am a strange person."

"Well, I'm glad you apparently aren't a douchebag. You're the first guy I've ever met that actually knows the meaning of respect." She sounded like she didn't care, but Naruto knew she was being honest. "Heheh, thanks."

For a moment it grew quiet as both of them looked out at the ocean. At this point, both of them were getting very accustomed to each others presence. Naruto of course was just being friendly about it, and Tayuya was putting on the act of not caring.

{_Life's been hard on her. I think...I think I want to help her._}

{_He's not so bad...pretty weird but I think I like that he's actually trying to be my friend. That's a first._}

Slowly, but surely...they were getting to know each other. For Tayuya, it was monumental, mainly because, as she herself stated, she didn't have any friends. Naruto was a very interesting person from the way he acted, and the girl felt that yes, getting to know him wouldn't hurt. "Do you know a lot of people?" She suddenly asked, not sure why she did. "Yeah. Some of my classmates who made it to genin like me, my two teammates, my teacher, my new Jonin sensei, old man Hokage, my dad the _new_ Hokage, my mom, my once babysitter, the list goes on."

Tayuya's chewing slowed down considerably as she looked at the ground.

She sort of envied him.

"I can see why you're a bright ball of sunshine. Your blond hair kinda magnifies it." Naruto knew something was off, so he tried to lighten her up. "Your hair suits you just like mine suits me. It's really pretty." Tayuya's eyes widened and she stared at him.

Naruto blinked. "What?"

The boy didn't know if he was in trouble or not when she settled into a blank expression. "You're not the first guy to tell me my hair looks nice." From the way she said it, it seemed one too-many guys had told her that just to get some leeway. Naruto frowned and looked to the ocean. "Sorry. It's just that my mom has long red hair, and it's actually the thing that brought her and my dad together. It's really beautiful and she knows how to take care of it. I just thought how both of you were similar because of that."

On her end, the girl couldn't help but feel angry at herself for suddenly getting defensive. True, many boys had 'complimented' her on her hair, but every single time it was over-embellished and sugar-coated to the point that she usually strangled them.

Naruto however had just stated what he honestly thought about it, simple as that. And after hearing why he said it, it made her feel more like an ass. "Don't worry about it. It's my fault really that I didn't consider how honest you were being." She turned away and sat back, wrapping herself more in the blanket, which strangely smelled like ramen. "It's a natural reaction when I've had to deal with a lot of bullshit thrown my way."

Once he understood where she was coming from, he smiled sheepishly. "So basically I need to make sure not to compliment you because you've already gotten too much of that from the wrong people, huh? Haha, my bad." Well, that was going to be a little hard to do.

Or maybe not, because Tayuya managed a smirk. "Well, since I can tell you aren't a guy who's thinking with his dick, I guess I won't mind _you_ specifically telling me what you really think from time to time. And thanks. No one's really told me my hair looks nice and actually meant it. You're the only sincere guy I now know when it comes to telling me what you think of me."

With those words, Naruto grinned that foxy trademark grin of his. "You're welcome." He felt proud at his sudden sense of accomplishment. This girl really needed someone to talk to, and he was glad he was the one she was opening up to. He hated to imagine what kind of life this girl had to live...and if she was still living it.

He felt the urge to ask.

"So...If I can ask...are you happy living the life you're living?" With such a personal and odd question suddenly thrown her way, her left eyebrow raised and she looked at him. "What do you mean?" The more and more he seemed concerned about her wellbeing, the more and more she felt herself trusting him.

Naruto sat back and rested his arms along the bench. "I mean...you say you don't have any friends...aren't you sick of the way you're living? Don't you want to go somewhere where people actually appreciate you?" When he looked at her, she couldn't help but feel something strange.

"..." At first, she turned away from him and gained a look of thought, obviously to let him know she was thinking about it.

Well, she did gain power from her illustrious master and is apparently trusted with very important information, and is one of his elites...but was she _happy_? That was a question she had never asked herself. For Naruto to bring it up, she couldn't help but start reconsidering everything up to this point.

When she was young, she had felt grateful to the man that had saved her from the miserable existence she had had, but as time went by, he had become more of a boss instead of a father-figure. With more and more people he brought in to the point he had a small nation of his own...she really just got pushed to the generic plate from which they all served him.

She wasn't anything special to him.

"No...I guess I'm not. I never really thought about it..." Naruto's instincts screamed at him to try and get her out of her suddenly vulnerable mood. "Hey, you alright? I was just asking because...as a guy who wants to be Hokage, I kind of have the urge to help people when I know they aren't living a life they want, you know?" Amazing her again with his honesty, it caused her to look at him.

"I guess that's a noble cause, but I'm not from your village. Why would you care about a stranger like me?" Naruto first looked offended by her question, but to her relief, it wasn't the case.

"Because a lot of people die too young or end up living the wrong way because of the mistakes of the older generations. Whether it's in the shinobi world or not, the roots from where every person came from can always tangle into a mess with someone or everybody else who's different from them, and that's where the trouble comes from. Words of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, more or less. You know what? He was right on the mark. I asked because...well, Konoha, my home might be a place you'd like if you ever decided you wanted to move there. I'd be glad to help you out."

To hear someone so young with that kind of conviction or even that kind of awareness was something Tayuya had never seen, and she couldn't help but grow a large amount of respect for him. She just stared at him for a few seconds in curiosity, but she eventually spoke. "I'm going to guess you're not bullshitting me...but at the same time, I kind of have obligations of my own. I don't think I can take your offer at the moment."

When he suddenly masked a look of disappointment, it made her feel a little guilty. "Oh, haha, well, I can't argue with that. Everyone has a road they have to take. I was just thinking I would like to walk the same road as all the people I'll end up eventually helping in life."

"I appreciate your concern either way."

What else could she say? In just the span of a few minutes...this stranger had made her start questioning a lot of things she had originally been sure of. Due to her not ever having this kind of conversation before...she just went back to eating the delicious meal he was so generous to buy for her.

"Well...even if you did go, I think there's something about me you should know first. It's the 'big mystery' you wanted to know about." When she looked to see the blond looking up at the clouds, he continued. "I don't know why...but I feel like I can trust you with this info. There's something just telling me to do it. Anyway..."

Even the beast inside of his belly was thinking he was stupid for what he was about to do. Regardless, Naruto took out his first plate of dango and began. "...You wanted to know why the villagers in my village don't like me much. Well, it's hard to forget how people you love are killed by the Nine-Tailed Fox when he's on a rampage."

Tayuya stopped eating. "Huh?"

What in the lower plains of hell was he talking about? She had heard of the Biju and most notably the strongest one of them all, from her master no less. What did Naruto have to do with any of it? "...I think just about all the nations know that twelve years ago, Konoha was attacked by the fox. What they don't know except for the people of the village is that he was sealed inside of me on that day, because I was born at the time."

"..." Tayuya wondered if she heard him correctly. That kind of secret wasn't supposed to be told to just _anyone_...right? When Naruto grinned at her, she realized the extent to which he seemed to trust her. "Basically, I'm telling you that because if we end up being friends, and we go there, and you see people bad-mouthing me or being disrespectful to me, I'd just ask that you leave them to do what they want. Once I become Hokage, they'll definitely see I'm not the Nine-Tailed Fox in human form."

When it was obvious she didn't know what the heck to say to him, he just started chuckling, because he knew she wasn't scared or suddenly wary of him. "You know, I like you. You're tough as nails, and you know how to handle the truth like you own the place. Most other people would be a little weirded out at least."

{_This guy...why does he act like I'm a good person or something?_} And why would he trust her in any way? As he had kept speaking and even now, his chakra continued to give off a warmer and more welcoming feel to her, and she felt so..._calmed_ by it. "...Do you ever use it's chakra?" Of course, being a girl who liked power like her curse mark, she suddenly wondered what it would be like to channel the chakra of the most malevolent of the Tailed-Beasts.

"_His_ chakra actually. And not a lot. I've learned a few things on my own and have some...abilities that kinda rule out my need to learn how to use his chakra, but he still trains me because it gives him 'A GREATER CHANCE OF SURVIAL.'" Naruto tried to imitate the remarkably badass voice of the fox, but didn't do so well.

Tayuya lightly nibbled on her remaining dango. "You _talk_ to him?" An enthusiastic nod was Naruto's response. "Sure do. You want to meet him? He's not that bad."

Whoa, now _that_ was quite an offer. "How the heck would I even do that?" She also registered the fact that meeting such a powerful entity would be...a bit scary, even to _her_. Naruto raised his first out to her. "Fist bump." He said with a grin.

"Huh?" She didn't immediately get what he meant.

"You know, bump your fist into mine and keep it there. I found it's a cool way to let me to connect with people that are 'compatible' with me, as the fox put's it. Wanna test it out?" It seemed he didn't realize the implications of what he just said.

"..."

She hesitated for a moment, and it surprised her. Well, it _shouldn't_ have, seeing as how her master was the scariest person she knew. It would make sense that a _demon_ would be more terrifying than _him_, no? She put her plate down, having finished. "Okay...I guess."

She could see the giddiness in his eyes, and she had to resist the urge to...'smirk.' Tentatively raising her feminine hand, she closed it into a fist and touched it to Naruto's.

Then something strange happened.

_Mindscape_

Everything around them warped into a mass of white lights and dark clouds, the sound of thunder booming all around them. She looked around in shock and apprehension, but to her surprise, Naruto just looked at her with his foxy grin. "Don't worry, it'll just take a second or fifty." He joked.

Then it all stopped.

Now, they were standing on the surface of the ocean, and an island was right in front of them. "Come one, come all, to the faraway 'Island Of The Monsters!' Anyway, he's over there, so let's get moving." Walking with marching steps, Naruto was quick to get onto the beach of the island.

Wordlessly, Tayuya followed closely, almost grabbing onto him for safety. To be thrust into this kind of environment in _this_ kind of situation so quickly like that almost made her question how reality works. "I'm guessing we're in your head?" Naruto nodded the affirmative. "Yyyy-yup. Whenever I have nothing better to do I'll come talk to him. Usually it get's on his nerves because he doesn't like me, but eh, I think he could use the attention now and then."

Yeah, Tayuya honestly felt he was a _really_ strange guy. But he was nice and polite, so she didn't mind it. Considering he also wore a shirt that showed how well defined he was, it made his 'coolness' that much more apparent. His pants were in the right mindset also.

**_"HHHHNNNNNNNN..."_**

Tayuya froze. {_What the fuck was that?_} Something that seemed to come from everywhere at once was very troubling to her. Naruto noticed that she had stopped walking and turned to see her with a slightly fearful expression. "Ah it's nothing to get worried about, he's just asleep or _trying_ to scare you just to get a kick out of it. Come on." Once again, he gave her a very warm smile, and she suddenly felt all her strength come back when she felt his soothing chakra, as if it had completely blocked out the bad elements in this strange place.

She quickly came up to his side, looking up at him in curiosity. "You're...a really easygoing guy." Something told her that she had wanted to say something else, but she didn't know what. "I'd rather be that then, well you know, a bit of a hard ass. Come on, we're almost there."

**_"HHHHUUUUUUHHHHHH..."_**

Naruto felt a little strange when Tayuya suddenly stood real close to him. "I think he _is_ asleep...strange, he was awake not too long ago when we were talking. Heh, I hope he doesn't get too mad when I wake him up. When he starts yelling, it's enough to throw you right off your feet. Haha."

"That's comforting to know..." As they travelled through the lush greenery, the sound of running water hit Tayuya's ears. "Heheh." Looking up at him and his amused expression, she smirked.

Within another minute, they made it to their destination.

Tayuya saw a large waterfall to the left of perhaps the largest cage-cell she had ever seen in her life, _built_ into the mountain. The 'bars' of the cage were actually large black pillars, obviously made of a material Tayuya had most likely not seen before. On all the pillars were strange, white-red seals, all of them glowing.

"Yup. Whenever I need to learn something fundamental, I learn here first and then try it out in the real world. The waterfall cools ya down after you get burned too much by his chakra. HEY! YOU AWAKE IN THERE?"

Tayuya's apprehension from before came right back. Perhaps it was the fact that it suddenly grew quiet, or perhaps that she couldn't see _anything_ inside the cage, but whatever the case, the girl felt very...small.

She heard shuffling and what sounded like ringing metal. **_"YOUR PERSISTANCE IN IRRITATING ME IS GOING TO GET YOU KILLED EVENTUALLY YOU LITTLE SHIT. NOW..."_** Tayuya visibly flinched at the overwhelming presence and voice of the beast, and simply _stared_ when she saw red chakra come into view, before the most malevolent...'face' she had ever seen came _from the top_ of the cage and down to look at the two of them.

So much _power_ was being exerted without effort, and the chakra completely masked his face, but allowed his glowing eyes to be seen. **_"...WHY ARE YOU HERE?"_** He looked at her once and then narrowed his eyes at Naruto. Said blond grinned. "I just wanted to show you my new acquaintance here. Tayuya, meet Fox, Fox, meet Tayuya." He then turned to the girl, who continued to stare at the beast. "I'd have said his name, but he won't tell me what it is."

For a few seconds, only the Biju's chakra and the waterfall were heard. **_"WELL, YOU'VE NOW INTRODUCED ME TO HER. NOW GET OUT."_**

"Ah come on. Don't you want to at least talk for a little while?" When Naruto sat down, seemingly relaxed and with a grin in play, he started to swing his head lightly from side to side. "I think Tayuya here is pretty cool. Maybe we can even train a little in here."

The Fox looked down at him. Then, he gave a bone-chilling grin. **_"AH, I SEE NOW."_** When it was obvious he was amused because of some unseen thing that apparently had to do with Naruto, Tayuya looked between the two.

Naruto looked confused. "What are you talking about?" In an environment she didn't know at all, and the look of knowing on the beast's face, Tayuya wasn't so sure she liked it here...even if the rest of the island looked outstandingly beautiful. She kept quiet and continued to look at them.

She was unnerved when she gained his attention. **_"I SEE THIS BLOND IDIOT MIGHT JUST BE THE HELP YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, TAYUYA."_** When he addressed her so suddenly and with such a weird statement, she just looked at him.

"I don't know what he means by that but I think he likes you, if the fact that HE ACTUALLY SAID YOUR NAME IS ANYTHING TO GO BY! HOW COME YOU NEVER SAY _MY_ NAME WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO ME?!" Like a child, Naruto pouted and crossed his arms.

**_"BECAUSE I KNEW ADDRESSING HER BY NAME WOULD GET UNDER YOUR SKIN. HEH."_**

So far, this whole experience was going in a way she had never thought it would go. She had originally thought the Biju before her would be roaring out at them to get out and or that he wanted to kill them in rather gruesome ways.

Then of course, there was the thing he just told her.

What did he mean? "...So what exactly are you talking about?" Yeah, what the hell could he _possibly_ mean by that? She hadn't said one word to him and now it seems she has some problem that he apparently saw.

**_"YOU HAVE A LOT OF HATE BOTTLED UP INSIDE YOU, UNLIKE THAT PATHETIC TOOTHPICK SITTING NEXT TO YOU. FOR THE MOST PART, HE HAS VERY LITTLE OF IT."_**

Naruto would have been surprised at this info, but he already knew that just by the few words Tayuya had said to him before. It was also pretty easy to see it in her attitude. "It's a special ability he has. He can sense negative emotions in any kind of creature he meets." Standing up, he put his hands in his pockets and approached her with a warm, yet understanding smile. "You really did have it rough, huh?"

**_"SPARE ME THE EMOTION-DRIVEN DRAMAS YOU HUMANS ARE SO QUICK TO PLAY OUT. THE POINT HERE IS THAT YOUR NEW GIRLFRIEND COULD ACTUALLY USE A REAL FRIEND, AND WHAT BETTER PERSON THAN THE MOST POSITIVE, BRAIN-DEAD IDIOT IN THE HISTORY OF THE HIDDEN LEAF VILLAGE? NOW THEN, GET OUT OF HERE."_**

Tayuya...didn't know how to respond to Naruto's sudden change in demeanor. "Alright whatever fox, you've been a great host. Next time we need donuts though."

**_"SHUT UP AND LEAVE_ _ALREADY."_**

_Real World_

The cold air of the day was the first thing Tayuya registered, and then Naruto's warm fist. She then opened her eyes to see Naruto. "He's a lot of help when you need it."

There were a lot of people Tayuya had met in her life, but just about all of them she didn't like. All her life, she'd been living in the dark, metaphorically speaking of course, and she always just did whatever her master told her to do.

And for what? What good were his supposed ideals going to be when he took such drastic measures to realize them? She had always trusted in his ability to grant her power, to make her a powerful kunoichi.

But...she never considered living like a 'good' person. That was only a product of having vowed to always follow in her masters footsteps but...he wasn't a warm person...and he wasn't very welcoming. Being a young girl who would eventually become a woman...and she was actually pretty close to that point...her needs would eventually outweigh her loyalty to a deranged lunatic who took far too terrible steps to get what he wanted.

She would need someone who would actually _care_ how she felt, she would need someone who would _want_ to help her. Of all the people she had met, this one dude, Naruto, seemed to be just one of a possible many.

But, changing from being a bad girl to a good girl wouldn't be so easy, and she knew it. Yet after hearing what the fox said...well...

"Look..." Naruto reached into the basket and got another dumpling. "...I know I'm just some stranger, but from what I know about you, I think I want to help you. Of course, that's if you feel you _need_ something or a change in your life. The fact that the Fox said what he said is proof. He _never_ tells me anything to reassure me, or get my spirits up. Him giving any kind of advice tells me that he knows something he's expecting one or both of us to figure out."

He lightly bit into it, but the amount of flavor that came out of it made him smile and his worries lessen. "Anyway Tayuya...I know you're a kunoichi, and I know we live in two different countries, but, something just tells me that if I let you go back home and never think about you again...you might end up having something terrible happen to you. I know I'm weird like that, but my healing abilities would make the chances of me experiencing something terrible a lot smaller than you...I think. Every time I've made an effort to know somebody, it always turned out great. I'm still having trouble with the fox, but I'm working on it. Haha."

Yeah...Tayuya felt very at ease with this strange person. She wasn't about to admit it though. She tossed her plate in the trash and reached in the basket for a rice ball. "I'm not someone you want to get involved with. When shit hits the fan, I usually pull through, but that doesn't mean bad shit doesn't happen." By now her hardened expressions were long gone...now she was just...contemplative about the whole situation.

In the span of about two hours...a lot of her ideals seemed to just change. But something in her was forcing her to keep away from Naruto. She didn't know what it was.

Naruto however was starting to feel something was amiss, and he couldn't understand what it was. Either way, he just had the need to somehow get through to her. But what the hell was he trying to say and what the hell would it accomplish? He could tell that him being able to sense her chakra was something very important, and he knew that when strange things like that occurred, one had to tread carefully.

Perhaps it was his male instincts, but he just...he just somehow wanted to be standing next to her, _shielding_ her from any threats. Cheesy, he knew, but like he said, there was something about this girl he felt he shouldn't ignore.

Still...he wasn't about to force her to do anything.

"Anyway, that's pretty much all I needed to say on that particular subject. What should we talk about now?" He gave a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his head. He knew the entire conversation they just had was something that may have been a bit much to the girl, so he knew he should change the topic instead of making her feel like her life was threatened.

Surprisingly enough, Tayuya just shrugged. "Tell me about your teammates. They actually good at being shinobi?"

Ah, now this was something worth talking about.

Naruto grinned. "You have no idea."

OOO

Author's Note: Well, there you have it.

Now, before someone specific goes complaining that I copied the idea of Tayuya and Kimimaro being in the Land Of Waves during this mission of team seven, I can only give you my word that I was thinking of this _long_ before I got back to checking out NarutoxTayuya stories here on Fanfiction.

Hell, some few years ago when I first published another story, an OC and Naruto had the ability to summon chains from their bodies. Guess what, literally a month later, Kushina Uzumaki is introduced in the canon, and then for some reason _she_ ends up with the power to use chakra chains. WHAT THE SERIOUS FUCK?

Anyway, let me tell you the two author's that have helped me get a better understanding of story writing:

Jetslinger, responsible for 'The Melody Of The Fox.'

AlphaDelta1001, responsible for 'Drifting,' and 'Melody Of The Wanderers.'

When it comes to fight scenes, Alpha wins, though I think he spends too long on them. When it comes to character building and interactions, the Silver-plated, Diamond encrusted trophy goes to Jetslinger, for now at least, until I put their stories side by side and compare.

My main goal in this story is to of course have the right amount of action and new elements introduced in the story. But more-so, my main intention is to focus on Naruto and Tayuya as individuals, and eventually, together as a couple.

In this story, I might have wanted it to be Naruto paired with Tayuya and Ryūzetsu, but Ryūzetsu is so far along in the story that I couldn't come up with the right elements, and even then, how am I going to write a believable story with Naruto getting engaged with two girls that are okay with it? There is still room for me to do it...but it would be tough.

You guys can decide and tell me how you might want it to happen.

So yeah. Anyhow, as you've seen, this story is happening _very_ differently to the manga, and as I've said before, only _one_ thing in canon is something that Naruto will use as a last resort. Even if Kurama has taught him a little how to use his chakra, he probably won't use it unless for intimidation purposes.

Anyway, I hope you liked it, and I'll come with the next chapter when I feel it's appropriate. As far as what I have, this first chapter is set in stone. Even if not a lot of people really tell me what they think on it, I _know_ that people will be reading it, and I just hope it inspires more people to write their own iterations on possible NarutoxTayuya relationships.

Later.

I have some PS3 games to play, and to work on getting the money for a PS4...heheh.


	2. Red And Yellow

Author's Note: So, word count of this chapter without my notes is a total of 9, 360. Yeah not as much as the first chapter, but the point was to show you guys that Naruto and Tayuya aren't exactly in a position to just keep being around each other.

And, I want to thank all 504 visitors that actually 'visited' this story, whatever that means. Could someone please tell me why the heck 'Views' and 'visitors' are two different things when it comes to graphing the traffic of stories? Eesh. The graph said that this story had 659 'views' and then 504 'visits,' up to the very point this chapter is posted, so idk what the fuck.

Not a lot of people said anything, but hey, at least you all gave it a chance, right? Except for the very first reviewer. He was either trolling or drunk. Strange.

Anyways, to answer the questions of most of you, this won't be a neglect fic, haha, I didn't mean for it to come across as that. I would feel terrible for writing that kind of story. :3

Now then, without further ado, please enjoy. :D

EDIT: Did an update. For some reason, some words didn't come out right, so hopefully now they're spelled correctly.

Naruto

Another Road

Chapter Two

Red And Yellow

* * *

**On The Bridge That Everyone Has Been Stressing Over...**

"So...anyone know where Naruto went?" Kakashi wasn't worried, but he at least thought that keeping an indirect sight on the whereabouts of his students on a dangerous mission would be right.

"He said he was going to go eat something. Want me to send a shadow clone?" Sasuke kept his eyes overlooking the side of the bridge, bored out of his mind. At first, he just heard the turning of a page, and his eyebrow twitched.

How the heck could he have a Jonin instructor that liked to read porn out in public? "Hmm, no, I'm sure he'll come around eventually. He's probably out spending time with the villagers." As his instructor, Kakashi had first felt very proud at Naruto's initiative. But lately, his endeavors with the people was kind of screwing up his duties to their mission.

Not a lot, just that Naruto was now usually spending more time with the villagers then staying with them to watch over Tazuna. He didn't mind it much, but yeah.

"ACHOO!" Sasuke turned to see Sakura with one of the biggest boogers he had ever seen hanging out her nose. Usually he didn't find anything funny, but he had to fight to keep a simple smirk in place, and ended up failing. "That's sexy." A rare instance like him joking like that told her and Kakashi that he was amused, and Sakura couldn't help but be mortified.

Sasuke took out a handkerchief.

Holding her hand over her face, she embarrassingly took it and gave him a tiny 'thank you.'

At this point in time, it had been three hours since they caught Gato this morning, so it was about to be noon, but the clouds still remained. Not that Sasuke minded, he had just been bored because he couldn't train right now. One of the things he had yet to do, which Naruto had made clear, was find a small hobby he could do when he was on a mission like this, and he was just now starting to regret it.

Perhaps...no, he didn't have the things he needed so there was no point. "Naruto would've caught that on camera. Heh, good thing he's not here huh?" The redness in Sakura's face was pretty much confirmation of his theory. "That would kill me. Really."

"HEY!"

They had barely heard his voice with all the noise the bridge builders were making, but the jonin and his students turned to see Naruto, trademark grin in place, and a girl they had never seen before.

Obviously.

Sakura was quick to clean her face and act as if nothing happened.

"I was wondering where you were Naruto. I'm guessing you were spending time with your new friend?" Kakashi had to fight the rare grin he has sometimes, because the red-haired girl and yellow-haired boy reminded him of a certain couple.

She even had that same tomboy exterior! Glare, check, masculine poster, check, clenched fists, _check_. Yup, the second generation Kushina Uzumaki had just surfaced.

Sasuke kept his cool expression in place. "..." Sakura on the other hand felt a little cautious of the new girl. Her overall appearance just screamed 'Alpha-Female.' As sexy as that might sound to a guy, to another girl, that usually meant trouble. {_She certainly looks friendly...why the heck is Naruto hanging around someone like her?_}

Of course, she should know not to judge a book by it's cover, but she was wasn't fully matured yet, so that was to be expected.

"That's right. Guys, this is Tayuya, Tayuya, this is Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei. So what's going on here? Well you know, other than the bridge being built." Naruto felt everything was dandy, but Tayuya was of course not so at ease around these new people like she was with him, but she at least had the sense of mind to offer a greeting.

"Sup." Not the most enthusiastic, but she wasn't really impressed by them anyway. "So what happened to Gato?" Naruto knew it would take a little time for his teammates to get used to the girl, and she to them. He knew what kind of folk got along with who. So, he knew that _he_ was the one who was gonna have to connect the cables and be the medium through which everyone there could channel their thoughts through.

And by that I mean he was going to have to get people to talk.

"He's gone. He's got a lot of trials ahead of him. Poor bastard had it coming. Oh well." Not really inclined to getting to know the new girl, Sasuke started walking back to his spot and placed his elbows on the railing, giving Sakura a great view of his bottom.

She quickly averted her gaze.

"Anyway Naruto, tell us about your new friend here." Kakashi's eye-smile meant he was intrigued. Tayuya kept her expression the same and tried not to seem annoyed, but she didn't smile. "She's just somebody coming through town. She has some friend who went to go do other things. Oh yeah, that reminds me, Kakashi-sensei, where do you think _our_ new friend is at?"

When Sasuke and Sakura perked up, Kakashi knew they had been anxious. "From the state he had been left in, I'd say he's just about done recovering, especially if that hunter-nin really was his helper. I didn't consider that until now, so thank you for reminding me. We should probably stick together."

"Yeah that's kinda what I was thinking. You sure those clones you left with Tsunami are gonna be enough in case he shows up?"

"If they can't persuade Zabuza from trying to kill them, one of them will dispel. In the meantime the other three will hold him back until I can _make_ it back. Not the most solid of plans, but it's better than risking any of you three guys against him."

By this point, Tayuya actually spoke, giving the others some glimpse of her mannerisms. "Are you guys talking about Zabuza Momochi?" She had her left fist on her hip, looking at the two of them for confirmation. {_Yeah, she's definitely a tomboy, just like this guy's momma._} Kakashi kept himself from smiling and nodded.

"Correct. He was the assigned ninja to kill Tazuna. We managed to cripple him in our last fight with him. A supposed hunter-ninja had been on his trail and took him away."

"And since hunter-nin usually get rid of the shit of their villages on the spot, you think he or she was with Zabuza."

Kakashi blinked. "You're very perceptive."

"You kind of gave it away already." It was obvious to Naruto that she was pretty much done talking to _them_ at least, so he grinned. "Anyways, anything happen while I was out and about?" When he saw Sasuke turn around on his spot and look at Sakura with a smirk, who blushed and shook her head, he looked back at Naruto. "Nothing too crazy."

From that little interaction, the blond knew something was up, but he didn't push it. "Uh-huh." He put his hands in his pockets and looked around. "They're almost done huh?" His question wasn't directed to anyone in particular. "Yup. Tazuna made it clear that they should be done some time in the afternoon. I'd say we were in the clear, but you can't be to careful. On another note, what have you and Tayuya been doing, hmm?" Kakashi asked innocently. From the way Naruto grinned, it seemed the blond wasn't all that shy about telling him.

As he and the scarecrow spoke, Tayuya took the time to look around. Back when she first arrived about a month ago, the bridge was in a much more sorry state than it is now. Now, it actually looked well 'polished.' Aside from building it, it looked like the villagers had also wanted to have it one-hundred percent acceptable the moment it was finished.

As her eyes wandered, she caught sight of Naruto's teammates. Since she herself preferred to wear tight clothing most times, she wasn't surprised to see what Sakura was wearing. The girl had on a red shirt that stopped at her waist, and black short shorts. With her hair tied up in a ponytail, Tayuya could guess that she took on that particular fashion to impress the boy next to her, who she was clearly infatuated with.

The redhead could admit that Sakura had a right to be wearing such shorts. She had a big bottom and healthy legs. Other than that though, she had two pouches, unlike Naruto who had three orange one's along his waist. The Uchiha was wearing all black, and that under armor shirt and slim fitting pants were most likely meant to show that he as well was developed.

The only thing he had on him was his sword. Taking another look at Naruto, it seemed all three genin had chosen looks to better enhance their appearances.

She picked her nose absent-mindedly, not even caring if anyone looked. {_They don't look like much._} She was never really impressed with anything, so it was understandable that right now, the only one out of them all that she found interesting was Naruto himself. After the conversation they had out in the park, she was much more accustomed to his presence. Heck, she could almost consider him a friend with the way he was. Not once has he gotten mad at any flippant remark she's made, and not once has he insulted her.

By now, any other person would be wanting to ring her neck.

She almost smirked as she watched Naruto poke Kakashi's chest. "...and what did I tell you about reading that frickin book out here on the job? I can understand if it's a great book but come on, we could be attacked any time now." Naruto's eyes were closed in that fox-like manner, and it seemed to add to the mood he was giving off. "What's your point?" For someone touted as an incredibly powerful and dangerous shinobi in the bingo book, the esteemed 'Kakashi Of The Sharingan Eye' didn't seem to embrace anything that nations all across the land have labeled him with.

"Are we done being here? I'm bored."

Sakura looked back discreetly to see what the redhead was talking about. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why Naruto, the friendliest and most polite dude she knew to date, was hanging out with someone with such an unapproachable aura. Even the way she stood next to him made it seem like she wasn't happy at all to be here. "Where do you think Naruto met her?" She whispered to her crush. Sasuke on the other hand kept his gaze overlooking the ocean. "Probably when he went to go get some ramen. She's not bad. I can tell from the way she stands that she's very strong."

Sakura blinked at that and took another look as Naruto lifted his hands up, playfully acting as if he was shielding himself from Tayuya. "You think so?" As a female, the girl with the hair-color of bubblegum saw things a much different way to Sasuke. "She doesn't stutter, and she doesn't waver. She's sharp enough to take in the surrounding environment as if she's preparing for a potential attack. That, and it's her eyes."

When Tayuya popped her neck and started to walk to the other side of the bridge, Naruto grinned and started following her. "I don't understand why Naruto likes her." Obviously, Sakura wasn't getting it, so Sasuke just sighed. "Naruto sees something in her that he can relate to, and because of that, he wants to understand her more. It's why he's willing to give her the time of the day. That, or he's attracted to her. I'll admit, she's pretty." Of course at this comment, Sakura glared slightly at the redhead, her fan girl instincts kicking in.

{**_No way is that skank getting her hands on my Sasuke-kun! Cha!_**} The inner her screamed out, and Sakura was pretty much in the same boat. "You never tell me or any girls how we look...are _you_ attracted to her?" Sasuke would have rolled his eyes if he didn't have such self-control. "Do you think it would help me if I told fifty girls what I thought about each and every single one of them? And no, I'm not. I'm just saying why I think Naruto's hanging out with her." If this was a year ago, he'd probably just ignore Sakura no matter what.

But, recently, he's decided that eh, they're on a team. Encouragement from Naruto also helped out. And then, there was the fact that Sakura improved her looks. "Oh, I see..." From the girl's tone, Sasuke knew she might have it out with the redhead, so he spoke again. "If you want to know, yes I think you look good the way you are." He actually couldn't imagine how much that single statement was such a confidence booster to Sakura, and was surprised slightly when she just smiled. "Thanks Sasuke-kun." On the inside however, inner Sakura was bouncing off the walls and tearing shit apart in glee.

I'm not going to tell you or show you what's going on.

Anyway, on the other side of the bridge, leaning against the railings, Naruto was cleaning his fingernails. "How much longer are you and Kimimaro gonna be here anyway?" Having spent enough time with her, he felt that he very much was liking the girl. Something about the way she was so direct and not scared to speak her mind was something he thought was cool. "Another week I think. Why?" Tayuya didn't look at him, but from her chakra, Naruto could guess she wasn't displeased by anything he could possibly say.

"Eh, I like hanging out with you. Also I think I should get to know Kimimaro also. He's a bit cold, but I think I can make it work." He chuckled lightly when he said this. "Good luck with that. That guys got a heart of stone. He only has one friend, and I'm not that person." She was actually sincere, because she knew damn well what she was talking about. "He just didn't get much of a chance to socialize with people growing up. I can tell." Naruto replied politely. She could tell from the tone of his voice that he must have already figured Kimimaro out.

"Sasuke's not that different from him. The only difference is that Sasuke can actually smile, or smirk most of the time anyway. I bet if I spend enough time with Kimimaro, he can change for the better." Once again, he intrigued the girl with his sure-of-himself attitude, and her chocolate-colored eyes turned to him. "Why are you so positive about everything?" In her current mindset, you wouldn't be able to put polite and like in any sentence, and yet here was this dude who was so optimistic with just about anything or anyone he was interacting with.

Naruto stood up straight, and met her eyes with his, along with his dashing grin. "I don't like being negative. People fight when that shit's going on, and it never ends good. Better to respect each other nicely instead of hate everyone's guts for no reason. Of course, you might not see it like that, but I'm hoping you change your mind soon." She could tell he was being a tease again, and looked away to stare off in the distance. "Being too quick to accept someone can get you killed."

"True, but that's not the case right now is it?" His chuckle and friendly expression were enough to keep her calm and actually amuse her. For some reason, she couldn't get mad at him right now. "Only because I'm keeping it that way." But, she wasn't about to lose a small argument, no matter how irrelevant it was. "Nyeh." He stuck out his tongue at her, but she just shrugged. "So what's with pinkie and emo-boy? They a couple or something?" The way she labeled them made Naruto's cheeks hurt from not wanting to laugh so hard.

"Uh, no, but Sakura likes Sasuke a lot. Sasuke's not into girls yet, or at least that's what he wants people to believe. He gets so many girls coming after him when he's spotted in the streets that I can see why he keeps to himself a lot. It's crazy how so many girls are attracted to him." Tayuya spared a glance to the Uchiha, who was talking with a random worker that had approached him. "He's got that sleek look to him, but I don't really see why he's so attractive. Also I don't see why he's not grabbing your other friend's ass. A lot of guys tend to do that when they see something they like."

She wasn't expecting Naruto's expression to visibly strain. "Have guys ever tried to touch you like that?" He asked in a tone she hadn't heard him use yet. She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but I've always broken their hand before they could even lay a finger on me. Now it's just some dumbass teammates of mine that ever try that when they get drunk." For once, she felt something negative from him as his eyes closed to give him that fox look again, a slight frown on his face. "Sorry to hear that. I can promise that that's not something I'd ever want to do to you."

{_Where the fuck is all this coming from?_} It surprised her that what she just said had actually been upsetting to him. "Yeah whatever, don't worry about it. Not like you'd get a chance anyway." For once, he actually winced. That probably didn't come out the way it was supposed to, or for that matter, that probably wasn't even the right way for her to respond. "Heh, yeah, that's not really something that's been on my mind." With his tone much quieter then she had heard from him, she knew her brash disrespectful attitude finally got to him.

And...for whatever the reason, she actually felt bad about that. Being her of course, she didn't know how to fix the problem, so they ended up in an awkward silence, both of them looking out at the ocean. {_Good going you fucking dumbass, now he probably hates you._} Normally she reveled in the fact of someone hating her, because then it usually meant she wasn't going to have to be bothered. But, that wasn't the case here with Naruto. After how polite and considerate he had been of her, and how much of himself he shared with her, she now felt like punching herself.

"..."

"..."

Neither one said anything.

Naruto of course had opened his eyes and was just looking softly out at the rippling water below. Tayuya however was just standing with her arms crossed and her hardened gaze glaring in a random direction. {_Might as well head back, Kimimaro is probably pissed I've been gone for so long._} She found that after thinking that, her belly grew a sinking feeling as she began to turn away. "You know, I should probably go back to where I'm supposed to be, so..." As she was about to head off, she felt Naruto gently grip her shoulder. "Actually, I was hoping you could stay longer...besides, didn't Kimimaro say you could spend the whole day with me?"

Much to the girl's surprise, she turned to see Naruto with a warm, yet hopeful smile. For a second, she didn't know what to say. Then however, she took a step closer and got right in his face.

She and Naruto didn't notice how Kakashi and the two other genin were watching from their spots.

Being taller then she was, but with her still being at his nose, Naruto for the first time in his life felt a little intimidated, and something else when she gave him a stern and calculating look. She didn't look angry though. "There a reason you like me so much?" She would never admit it, or at least not at this time, but being so close to his handsome and bewildered face made her cheeks warm. She thought he was actually pretty cute right now, especially when he started to scratch the back of his head sheepishly.

"Uh, I like hanging out with new people?" He offered. She got even closer to his face, and he had to lean back a little. The way she stared so intently at him was making a strange sensation overcome him, and he was surprised that it was a positive feeling. From the way her cute nose crinkled a few times or with the small frown, made from analyzing him, to her big brown eyes framed by her red hair was really something that he liked.

She poked his chiseled chest, almost making him flinch. "No lie?" She asked. "If I complimented you in any way on your looks would you kill me?" He asked with a grin, and Tayuya found that his dashing visage triggered something in her. She actually blushed, but her expression became more stern. "Do you really wanna know?" She started to poke him multiple times without realizing it, and she didn't see how Sakura was staring at them so intently.

Even Sasuke had raised an eyebrow. Kakashi was just looking at them, no one being able to tell what he was thinking.

Strangely, unlike his predecessors, Naruto wasn't frightened by the potentially dangerous female that was seemingly staring into his soul. He just chuckled lightly. "I'd be lying if I said no." When it was obvious that he was being honest, Tayuya just rolled her eyes and leaned away from him. "Be glad I don't hate you. Anyway, I _guess_ I'll waste more of my time with you. You owe me though." She found it strange that having gotten so close to her had affected her in such a strange way, and she _really_ didn't want to think why. "How's dango sound?" Naruto followed after her enthusiastically as she walked farther along the rails.

Tayuya's lips threatened to turn upwards. "Alright, that's fair. Do you have to stay here?" At her almost whiny tone, Naruto smirked. "Uh, yeah, pretty much until Tazuna finishes the bridge." Strangely enough, Tayuya sighed in slight exasperation, and leaned against the railing. "And how long is that gonna take?" She was obviously wanting her dango now rather then later. As Naruto watched her, he grinned again, thinking it was funny that she was a little deflated. "You know, I forgot to ask you where you got your hat from. It's pretty cool." He asked, completely brushing off her question.

"..." Believe it or not, this was the first time anyone ever spoke to her about her hat. So, for a second, she sort of looked at him and then back out at the ocean. "I never thought much of it. When I was growing up, I didn't have anything about me other than my hair that labeled me as unique. Almost any girl you meet is so fucking insufferable because of how _girly_ they are that I just decided 'fuck it,' I need something that doesn't give that impression. I wasn't about to wear my hair in ponytail." The tone in her voice practically dripped with venom, and Naruto thought it was really funny how averse she was to being very feminine.

"Well, you got it right. I think it looks pretty awesome."

"Yeah, you already made that apparent."

Naruto snickered. "You're welcome." He couldn't figure out why, but her attitude was something he couldn't shy away from. The way she stood straight with her arms crossed, and the way she looked at everything so sternly was something he wasn't used to seeing in a female, and the way Tayuya pulled it off was unique to him. She looked at him with a small smirk, to which he grinned and took a look around, seeing Kakashi and Sakura turn away suspiciously. He had the distinct feeling in his gut that he was going to be pestered by them when they went back home.

Which reminded him...

"So uh..." He started to scratch the back of his head, and Tayuya could see he was a little apprehensive. "Yeah?" She tilted her head, very much pleasing Naruto that she didn't seem annoyed in any way, and was just looking at him inquisitively. "Uh...are you um..." The girl looked him over as he got his thoughts together. Naruto didn't even know why he was getting nervous, because he was just going to ask her a simple question. "Are you still considering what I told you about?"

At first she didn't get it, but then she remembered. "You're still on about that?" She turned away, scratching her waist when it got itchy. "Well yeah, I mean, I think you're really unique, and I think from what you told me about yourself, I'd say I would really like it if you considered coming back with me to Konoha." As strange as it was to have some random dude asking her that, the fact that it was Naruto was making her that much closer to just doing it. However, it was at this point that she realized why she was hesitant to actually do it.

Even if Naruto wanted to help her for whatever the reason, the fact was, she was practically leashed. She suddenly rubbed a certain spot on her neck. "Seems to me like you just want to take me to your house and fuck me. Is that it?" Due to how bluntly she said it, Naruto didn't realize she was joking. For once in a long ass time, he was flustered. "W-What? No!" Tayuya almost wanted to laugh when she looked at him to see him with his hands out in a defensive way. "I was just kidding genius." In an instant, Naruto's eyebrow twitched, and he sighed.

"Oh...fucker. So are you gonna answer me?" He asked, _really_ trying to get rid of the images that had suddenly invaded his mind. Tayuya could tell from the redness in his cheeks and the way he was clenching his teeth in desperation what he was thinking, and she suddenly felt like messing with him. "How's about you tell me what you're thinking about right now?" She turned to him and once again, got in his face. "I'm just asking you to answer my question." He answered, already knowing what she was doing.

"Uh-huh. Is that why you looked like you were looking forward to actually screwing me?" She honestly didn't know _what_ the hell was coming over her, but she somehow really enjoyed getting the blond to be all embarrassed. Naruto challenged her by actually getting closer, surprising her slightly. "Hmm, and how do I know _you're_ not the one who'd enjoy getting tied down to my bed?" His intense gaze and smirk were enough to make Tayuya falter. "Hmph, pervert." She got away from him, not wanting anyone to see how much she was probably blushing.

"Anyways, I'm getting hungry again. Maybe Kakashi-sensei will let us leave. Gimme a sec." He didn't want to tell her how turned on he actually was when she wanted to be so flirtatious like that. This was a whole knew experience to him, so he had to get just a little time away from her.

{_Hn, bastards one tough nut._} Usually, it was easy to get under anyone's skin, and she figured that flustering Naruto would be easy. It was something when he, as a person who seemed very...'not dirty,' would easily be able to fluster _her_ with just one sentence. She smirked. {_At least he has balls getting all close to me and shit. Anyone else would've been decked right in the face._} She thought in amusement. Truly, it seemed she was very much liking spending time with this newcomer, and since she had never had that with anyone except maybe one other girl she knew, she would admit to herself that eventually separating from him would put a dent in her spirit.

As she pondered over the mysterious boy and his overall character, she caught wind of something. Due to her advanced senses, she picked it up faster than the genin, but she figured that Kakashi had already felt it as well. What it was, was the use of a dreadful aura, known usually as Killing Intent. Tayuya however didn't care what the fuck anyone called it, she just cared that right now, _someone_ was giving it off, and her eyes narrowed. When she stood up, she turned her head towards the direction of the Jonin, and when he looked at her, she pointed in a seemingly random direction, somewhere away from the bridge.

It was then that mist started to envelop the bridge.

In an instant, everyone else began to realize what was happening. "Naruto, you Sasuke and Sakura go get Tazuna and protect him." Without even saying anything, Naruto and the other two were on it.

The drill had already been made long before today. Some time after Team Seven arrived here, Kakashi came up with the idea that all of the workers here would immediately know to evacuate if something were to happen, and with mist suddenly pouring in and the three genin going to Tazuna's side, they all understood what to do. Tools were left where they were and the men started running off.

"Come on old man, you should probably get out of here too. Or, we can wait and see if Zabuza's in a good mood." Naruto joked. "Naruto I swear, one of these days, that goofiness of yours is gonna get you killed." Tazuna really liked the kid, but he had to admit, Naruto could be a little to optimistic from time to time. Whatever the case would be, what mattered more to the old man was that _they get the hell out of there_. So, running as fast as his legs would allow, he stayed in the protective circle they formed around him, and soon enough, they went past Kakashi and stopped, making sure to keep an eye on the left and right side of the bridge in case of an ambush attack.

When Naruto looked around, he realized that Tayuya was no longer anywhere to be seen. "Hey, where did..." He stopped when he began to hear footsteps at the other end of the bridge..._two_ sets of footsteps. His sense of smell kicked in, and he recognized both scents. {_Wait a second...isn't this the scent of..._} His mind went back to that mysterious person he met a while back, out in the forest. As much as he respected that person, he was a little dismayed that they were working for Zabuza.

But hey, there had to be a good reason, and thinking it over, he realized that yeah, Haku had a good reason.

"Zabuza...before you do anything rash...I just want you to know that Gato isn't around anymore." It was Kakashi who spoke, and as much as the jonin was sometimes okay with sharing witty banter with his opponent, now would not be the best of times. "Is that so?" A guttural voice pierced the quiet, the footsteps stopping. "Yes. He's in the custody of real authorities now...I don't think I should have to tell you that we don't need to fight here." The chances of a fight not happening could be fifty-fifty, simply because Zabuza still might be pissed about their last encounter.

"...Hn, and how do I know you aren't lying just to keep yourself and your brats from getting their heads cut off?"

"Because, shit-for-brains, it's the _truth_. Back off."

POOF

In a quick display, the air was disrupted, and both Jonin realized that the summoning jutsu was just used. Quickly enough, three large booms were heard, and it was obvious that whatever it was, it or they were surrounding Zabuza. Tayuya's spot was heard from somewhere up high. "I'm only going to tell you this once. That fat fuck Gato is gonna get his ass raped in prison by a bunch of faggtastic fucktards. You don't have a paycheck anymore, so get the hell out of here before I get my Doki to flatten you into a pancake."

"Faggtastic fucktards..." Naruto mumbled, starting to snicker.

From there, a massive wind picked up, dispelling the mist, and the three hulking _things_ towering above Zabuza and Haku made Naruto's eyes widen. "Whoa! What are _those_ things?" He asked to no one in particular. Kakashi however spotted Tayuya above one of the pillars holding up the bridge. {_So, she has a wind affinity...what village is she from?_} It was odd seeing someone who didn't even have a shinobi headband using jutsu, much less a nature-infused one.

Zabuza took note of the hulking figures, and Haku was already on the defensive. "Zabuza-sama...what shall we do?" When a strange melody began to sound off, everyone looked up to see where Tayuya was standing. And there she was, atop the post, playing a flute and with the wind slightly billowing her hair. Her expression was stern, and when the three humanoids started to grunt and ready their weapons, Zabuza instinctively placed his hand on his sword's handle. "Hn...Am I to believe that you were responsible for nullifying my contract with Gato, Kakashi?"

"Actually, that would be me and my buddies here. Without any other ninja hired to guard him, Gato didn't really stand a chance." Naruto answered him with a smirk.

"..."

"..."

Now, Zabuza had two choices here. A, he could let it go and leave. B, he could at least try to kill Kakashi and collect the bounty on his head. But, not liking the prospect of losing Haku, he relaxed. "You should be glad I'm not _that_ quick to hold a grudge, blondie. Make no mistake though, if I ever see you again, and you get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill you." His irritation grew even more when Naruto just grinned and saluted. "Gotcha. Just take care of Haku, alright?"

At this, Haku grew nervous when Zabuza turned to him. "When did you meet him and why didn't you kill him _then_?" He sternly asked.

"How's about you shut the fuck up and get out of here already?" Tayuya momentarily stopped playing her flute. "If you haven't noticed by now, a bridge needs to be built. And if you even _try_ anything on that blond idiot, I promise I won't hesitate to rip your skin off, cut your skull in half and use it for a bowl of chowder." While Zabuza was wondering what the fuck 'chowder' was, everyone else grew a little disturbed, except for Naruto of course, who had strangely become quiet.

"Big words coming from a squirt. I suggest you watch your tongue, because I don't have any problems with teaching you proper manners." It seemed Zabuza's patience was waning, so Kakashi intervened. "Zabuza, that's great and all, but seriously, Tazuna-san really needs to get back to the bridge. Please leave." He asked nonchalantly. "Hn, tell the little firebrand to get rid of her summons and I'll be on my way." Truth be told, these strange looking human things were a little troubling...and not because they were summons, it was just the fact they weren't _normal_ summons.

Zabuza could tell that they _weren't_ human, and honestly, having them so close to Haku was setting his instincts high on alert.

And of course, before Kakashi could even say anything, the three creatures were dispelled. Right after that, Tayuya came down and landed next to Naruto. She didn't say anything, mainly because she kept her eyes on Zabuza. But, as always, she thought of the right thing to say at that instant, so she turned her head back to look at him. "You gonna go get the other workers or what?" She asked, as if nothing strange had just transpired.

"Haku, let's go." Leaving no room for argument, Zabuza took off, and with one final look to Naruto, Haku then followed, following his master over the bridge.

It was quiet for about three seconds after they left, before Sakura breathed a sigh in relief. "Well, I'm glad nothing terrible happened."

"Yeah...you guys handled that nicely...I think. Who's your friend Naruto?" Tazuna asked. Grin in place, Naruto put his kunai away and turned to him. "Tazuna, this is Tayuya, Tayuya, this is Tazuna. Be nice please."

"Eh." Tayuya made a so-so gesture with her hand, and Tazuna hadn't laughed so hard in a long time. "Hehhahahahahaha! You know, I think that Zabuza guy had it right. 'Firebrand' suits you. Is she your girlfriend or something Naruto?" At this, Tayuya rolled her eyes and Naruto took on a thinking pose. "We're still working things out. Right now we're just kinda testing the waters and-hey I was just joking! Heheheheh!" Naruto arched away from the girl when she tried to punch him. Fighting off a smirk, Tayuya just opted to glare at him. "What'd I say about hitting on me?"

"I wasn't! I was just, you know, explaining things." Naruto said innocently.

"_Future couple._" Tazuna whispered to Sasuke, who's cheeks puffed in amusement. "It would be really strange..." Sakura was all for gossiping and that kind of crap, but the thought of two _complete_ opposites being together like that just didn't compute in her mind.

Totally oblivious to what they were talking about, Tayuya got Naruto's arm with speed he didn't know she had, and he blinked in surprise when she got up in his face, _again_. "Guess what? Zabuza's not a problem anymore. You know what that means right?" She asked him with a small smirk. For the most part, Naruto was getting the feeling that she _liked_ getting in his face, and he couldn't stop the goofy grin that resulted from that. "Uh, now I can go get you your dango?"

"Correction: _We_ are getting out of here and you can buy me some dango. Come on let's go, move your ass." Not even caring what Kakashi would say, she kept her hand on his wrist and starting pulling him with her, brushing past Sakura without even acknowledging her. "Okay okay, eesh, I get it. Heheh." For Naruto, this experience was something he was taking to heart for a few good reasons.

He had never met someone with the kind of attitude that Tayuya had, and he had also never met anyone with the same story as her. So, for him to be accepted by her with just about no problem was a confidence booster, in that as a person, he knew he was doing things right. He turned and waved to the others, noticing how Sakura was staring at them so intently that he could almost swear she was jealous. "Move it dipshit." Tayuya didn't sound annoyed, and actually, Naruto could tell she was amused, perhaps even eager.

He smiled, though she couldn't see it.

"Heheh, okay."

OOO

**Sometime later...**

Naruto had met a lot of people in his life, being who he was, but for some reason, Tayuya had something about her that he could not keep his attention from, well other then her chakra that is. The way she was sitting on the bench outside of the dango vendor with such a look of content on her face elicited a smile from him. For him, making people feel great or just helping them out always gave him a feeling of completion every single time he succeeded, and now was one of those times. "Quit staring at me asswipe. You can look but you can't touch."

Naruto's cheeks puffed and he turned away, whistling. "Would ten more orders of dango and some pocky be enough for that?"

"...Throw in a lifetimes supply of pocky and dango and I _might_ consider it." She replied. The fact that she was now joking like that was proof that she was having a good time. Honestly though, Naruto wasn't entirely sure how he was doing it. All he really knew was knowing how to be nice and polite, but above all, he was just being himself. "I'll uh, I guess I'll have to wait until I'm Hokage then. That kind of money isn't easy to come by..." Though he was having fun, he had a feeling he was going to get an earful when he went back to Tazuna's, but he didn't let it get to him.

Tayuya's eyes went to him for a second to see him grinning and looking at the passing people. "..."

Now that most of the day had gone by, she was thinking back to what he told her, and her consumption of her snacks considerably lessened. "..." She knew deep down that Naruto was very genuine in his consideration for her. As she had spent all day talking to him and learning about him, she found that if she seriously took him on his offer and went with him, it could work. She could _really_ have a much better life instead of being locked up in her room all the time except for missions and eating.

There was just one problem...Orochimaru. She still felt a _tiny_ bit obligated to him as a subordinate, but really, the thing about leaving his service was the fact that if she did, he would probably kill her. Scratch that, Kimimaro would probably do it for him if he found out. Even if she were tell Naruto right now that she accepted, the fact was, the bridge was still being built. It _might_ be done today like Kakashi said but she just didn't know, and that, combined with the fact that she was to get back to her duties by the end of this day was not good.

She nibbled lightly on her pocky, and looked towards the horizon. Yeah, it was getting pretty late already...fuck.

"Hey, Naruto..." She started off, not sure how to say anything. "What's up?" Naruto asked with a grin, noticing how quiet she just got.

He was surprised when she suddenly looked embarrassed. "Uh...Thanks." She turned away so he couldn't see her face. {_The fuck is the matter with you Tayuya? SHOW SOME BACKBONE DAMNIT!_} She scolded herself in annoyance.

Naruto blinked. "For what?" He tilted his head in curiosity. He watched her sigh in exasperation. "Thanks for actually showing me that there _are_ people in the world who aren't complete and total fucks. I don't think I've ever met anyone like you, so thank you for taking time out of your life to give me company. I really don't think I'll ever meet someone strange as you." She gained strength in her voice, because it wasn't as if she was trying to confess undying affection for anyone.

She was just thanking the blond for being the first friend she's ever really had.

"Oh come on, 'taking time out of my life?' Tayuya-chan, it's not like that. I know you've had a life that was probably similar to mine, and even if it wasn't, when I see someone who's living a rough life, it's only right to cheer them up and _show_ them that it's not always going to be tough _if they make the choice_ to better themselves by understanding someone else who already has. Plus, you're a pretty girl, how could I resist?" He felt a little warmth at addressing her like that and admitting something so silly, but it was the truth nonetheless.

Tayuya meanwhile thanked her years of training to be a tough shinobi, because right now, she felt so happy after hearing what he just said, and she was able to keep a cool expression, but soon enough, her tomboy exterior came back. "So you _were_ wanting to check me out huh you sly bastard?" She looked at him accusingly, but Naruto could see the amusement in her eyes. "No, I just got that idea _after_ you got more used to me."

"Hn...Anyway...I think I should get going..." It was ironic when she said this, because when she did, a familiar bone-bender appeared from the crowd and approached them. "Hey Kimimaro, what's up?" Naruto forced a grin, because he suddenly felt dismayed at the prospect of Tayuya leaving, and with the Kaguya showing up, he knew it was going to happen. "Hello Naruto, I trust Tayuya has been behaving herself?" From his tone and the way he was looking at Naruto, the girl with the crimson hair suddenly realized that something about Kimimaro was off.

Since when did he show respect to someone he might consider 'trash?'

"Shut up." She told him in annoyance. "Eh don't worry too much. We've just been 'Bonding' all day." Naruto had to quickly get off the bench to evade the punch that Tayuya threw at him. "Do you really want me to kick your ass?" Tayuya asked, a dangerous look in her eyes. Naruto however had the feeling that she wasn't mad at all. "No, I'm just telling Kimimaro how we've been hanging out like old friends." Said person looked at the two of them, his curiosity evident. "If you two are done horsing around, Tayuya must get back to her duties." He didn't say it with an authoritative or threatening tone, so the redhead had a feeling that yeah, something about him had changed.

"Aw man...but it's not even the end of the day yet!" Naruto put on a childish display and pouted. "Perhaps, but unfortunately, I require help with our assignment. There was not much of a problem earlier today, but it has gotten worse. I need Tayuya to get back to work." Once again, no negative emotion was in his voice, but nonetheless, both the blond and redhead were pretty bummed out, even if the latter didn't show it. "Well...okay. You know I was looking forward to hanging out with you also, Kimimaro. I guess we can do that the next time I see you guys, right?"

For a split second, Kimimaro decided on what he should say. "When we are given assignments, we do so until they are completed. In the rare instances that we have some time off, we are confined to our home. In other words, this will be the last time you see us, unless you decide to meet up with Tayuya tomorrow." It was odd for Kimimaro to be so 'generous' like that, and even though Tayuya was hiding the fact that she liked that idea, Naruto's sudden look of elation shot down that excitement.

"Actually...this might be our last day here. If old man Tazuna and his buddy fix the bridge, we'll be leaving tomorrow. I won't have time to spend with Tayuya." You could tell that he pretty much lost all the light in his eyes, and Kimimaro simply nodded. "Perhaps it is for the best. We never have time to do anything but serve our employer. My apologies Naruto." Kimimaro stated, and even though he didn't sound genuine, at least he said it.

Naruto frowned, but then turned to Tayuya with a very bright smile. "You guys should come to Konoha some time! It's a really great place! Plus, we can catch up!" The gentleness and warmth of his blue eyes made the redhead blush. "M-Maybe..." She mumbled, looking at some non-existent object to her left. "Some day we will." The bone-bender took a glance to Tayuya, and as he expected, his statement had affected the girl very badly because of a simple reason.

The pit of Tayuya's stomach seemed to drop heavy with lead. Suddenly, she didn't feel so good. "Great! I can't wait to see you guys then! This'll be awesome!" Naruto then turned to the girl, who was putting her pocky back in her bag rather quietly. "Maybe you'll like it there?" He asked hopefully. As much as he wanted her to not go back to wherever the heck she was going to go, he wouldn't force her to do anything. "Say your goodbyes Tayuya, I'll be waiting at the beach. Farewell Naruto." Kimimaro offered, to which Naruto waved.

"Yeah, later Kimimaro!" He was much more enthusiastic, but Tayuya standing up and looking anywhere but at _him_, dampened his spirit. "I really enjoyed today Tayuya-chan." Speaking her name so positively made the girl feel fuzzy inside. "You're really cool. Heck I can actually consider you badass after the way you stood up to Zabuza. How many women can be called that huh?" His attempts to cheer her up weren't working, and it caused him to frown.

She couldn't see it though, thanks to not wanting to look at him. "...Thanks Naruto. I guess I'll get going then..." She started to walk after Kimimaro.

However, Naruto's hand touching her shoulder stopped her. _Against her better judgment_, she looked at him, and the caring, warm expression he had was _so_ close to making her stop and not go back to her master. "Be careful out there alright? And uh, if you ever really decide to take my offer, just swing on by to Konoha and ask for me at the Hokage's office. If you do, I promise I'll help you out." For the life of her, she really could not understand why Naruto was so adamant about being _considerate_ for her wellbeing.

It was really endearing. "...I'll remember that if it comes to it. See you around Naruto." At this, Naruto gave her a dashing grin like usual. "Glad to hear it! Later Tayuya-chan!" With a wave, he began to walk in the opposite direction.

"..." This was the first time in years that Tayuya felt so conflicted. She took a step forward, wanting to grab his shoulder and stop him. But, because she knew there were some things she would never be able to have or ever do, with a sigh, Tayuya began to follow after Kimimaro, who was now pretty far away. {_He's just some blond loser anyway, why the fuck should I care if we destroy his village or not?_}

Honestly, she immediately felt terrible for thinking that. And, as she walked, she had the urge to look back one more time at Naruto...but she found that she couldn't, and continued onward. It was a shame too, because if she had, she really might have dropped everything and...turned her back on her current lifestyle.

A little bit of a distance away from the stand, Naruto was standing there, having been unable to resist his gut and took one last look. All of his instincts roared at him to stop the girl, but a bigger part of him respected the girl's decision, after all, it wasn't his choice. He knew his limitations, and he knew that he could only help people, not tell them or force them to do what he thought was right.

{_No matter what, no matter how weird it is, I have to help her._} He wasn't even sure _what_ he was supposed to help her with, but as he saw her beautiful hair billow softly, he tightened his fists in his pockets, and his muscles seemed to be more apparent.

{_I just hope I get to see you again, Tayuya-chan._}

**Farther away... **

Tayuya rushed to catch up to Kimimaro, and made it to his side. "He seems to have taken quite a liking to you." He suddenly spoke up. "Yeah? And?" She knew something was up, because the bone-bender almost _never_ started the conversation. "I simply wonder about his claims of our master. He would be insane to try anything." Even though he said that, somehow, Tayuya felt Kimimaro wasn't so sure of what he was talking about. "Right. So what's the big deal? Can't you handle the prisoners yourself?"

Her question answered Kimimaro's thoughts. "Do you still wish to waste your time with someone beneath us?" He asked neutrally, and this time, Tayuya really couldn't tell if he was covering up his real intents. "He's not so bad, and he isn't beneath us. He almost had to fight Zabuza Momochi, and the whole time, Naruto wasn't scared of him. That takes balls."

"Hn." Kimimaro remembered the man well. He may have only met him once, but after seeing him in the bingo book years later, he now was aware of who he had met that day. If what Tayuya said was true, then Kimimaro now had more respect for the blond.

As they walked, they both thought over how their day had been, and when they passed the park, Tayuya gave one longing look to it.

After thirteen years of living like a damn rat, always working in the shadows and doing terrible things, the girl now understood what being positive actually meant. She couldn't actually do it on purpose, but she now knew the feeling, and it was all thanks to one person. If she had been on this mission by herself, she probably would have ended up 'missing' from her 'village.' But, with Kimimaro here, that choice wasn't possible.

Even if Naruto managed to shed some light on how Orochimaru _really_ was, it still was going to take a lot more for Kimimaro to turn away from the man.

But, right now, that wasn't what mattered to her. She gripped her flute and looked it over. About a month ago, she saw Naruto sing, and he had used the right instruments with his shadow clones. She herself had only ever killed people with music. But now, after meeting Naruto, she wondered if maybe that could change. The truth was, if she didn't have her cursemark...she would be home free. The only issue was getting rid of it.

She just didn't know how, and even if she did, she would never be able to take it off before someone killed her for betrayal.

Tayuya put the flute back and looked back at the village they were leaving behind.

{_Okay...If I ever want to do anything right, clean my plate and change my life around...I'm gonna need your help Naruto-kun._}

OOO

Author's Note: Time of posting this chapter, the 1st day of March, 2014, somewhere around 1:00 in the morning.

Now, after reading this, guys might be thinking, 'come on! You're separating them NOW?!'

Well yeah, I mean, I think after the first chapter and what you see here, that's enough bonding time, no? :3

Well whatever the case, I hope you liked it, and if you do review, please tell me if you don't follow anything or if some things don't make sense, you know? I'm not saying it'll be perfect, but one of my concerns is not having plot holes.

That could be tough. *cough*

Anyway, thanks for giving this story a chance guys, and I can't wait to see what ya'll think. Later. :D


	3. Thinking Back

Author's Note: First off, I want to thank every single one of you that have taken the time to really examine what I'm doing with this story and have given me your thoughts on it. It REALLY helps and boosts my confidence in knowing that there are people who share my thoughts on Naruto and Tayuya.

Second, to really understand and feel what I envision for Naruto and Tayuya, I would politely ask that you listen to 'Ships In The Night,' By Mat Kearney. On youtube, look for the user Charles Coleman, because he has the full song and the band in that video.

Thirdly, this WILL be a Naruto and Tayuya only story, and no matter how long it takes me to update, I promise it will continue to grow.

It's more than simply writing out important events in each chapter. If you understand what I meant with the summary for this story, you can bet that there is no rush.

Having said that, what you will be seeing in this chapter with Naruto will really just be for humor purposes, haha.

Anyway, please enjoy. :)

Naruto

Another Road

Chapter Three

Thinking Back

Normally it was nice and sunny around Konoha most of the year, but today was one of those days when for some unexplained reason, it was raining. Not a whole lot, just lightly drizzling, so it wouldn't be much of a bother for most villagers. Now, since it was also a Sunday, most shinobi had the day off, and while the greater whole of them were doing just that, a certain green-wearing duo was simply taking it as a 'challenge,' but don't worry, I won't bother telling you the crazy things they're doing right now.

Elsewhere in the village, a certain blond was in his apartment, in his room, atop his bed and on his back with his hands behind his head, just looking at the ceiling with a less-than-happy expression. The sound of lightning boomed outside, and in some respects, it kind of reflected Naruto's mood. He wasn't sulking or angry, just a bit deflated.

{_**SEEMS YOU ALREADY MISS YOUR NEW 'FRIEND.' I TOLD YOU TO TRY AND BRING HER BACK WITH YOU.**_} He didn't sound like he was teasing him, but Naruto also couldn't tell what he was even thinking. Damn fox was just that good at keeping his intentions secret, unless he was trying to possess the blond.

Then he was easy to read like a book.

"Seems to _me_ like you're feeling a little lonely. Want me to go rub your back or something? I'll make sure to be _gentle_." The smirk he had on his face was confirmation of the fact that he just wierded out the Biju. {_**YOU DISGUST ME. FORGET I SAID ANYTHING.**_}

"Sure thing."

It was some time late in the morning right now, but with it raining outside, he couldn't really go do any physical training. So, here he was on his already made bed, in a white shirt and orange, somewhat shiny shorts.

_"...I'll remember that if it comes to it. See you around Naruto."_

He knew he felt it. He _knew_ she had felt discontent from having to part from him. Her chakra had given it away, and he knew he should have tried harder. Kimimaro seemed like a good enough guy, and it had _seemed_ like Naruto had gotten through to him. But he just didn't know, and ever since he watched Tayuya leave, Naruto felt so..._conflicted_. He really felt like he had done something terrible _just_ by letting her leave. He growled lightly, and coincidentally a bolt of lightning flashed through the sky at that instant, the light drawing his eyes to the window, and out to the darkened clouds above.

{_What about her aren't you telling me fox?_} When he didn't recieve an answer, his irritation grew into slight anger. "Fuck it, I need to go do something. Maybe...hmm." He hadn't eaten anything yet, so perhaps he would go do that.

The fact was, he just needed someone to talk to, and preferably someone who could actually give him advice, unlike a certain furry bastard who always seemed to know something but would never tell Naruto shit until said blond already figured it out. Ever since saying his goodbyes to Inari, Tazuna and Tsunami, the fox had given small hints from time to time that he might have known something that Naruto didn't. The reason that was important was because this info that the furball had, pertained to a certain girl with very beautiful crimson hair and irresistible chocolate brown eyes.

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose, unable to believe he just thought that.

As much as his intents have been very pure from the beginning, he found that after they parted ways, the things he remembered about her were most notably her looks. Honestly, he didn't know _why_ he was thinking how cute she was or things like that, but at least he was still concerned about her for the right reasons. {_Assuming I can keep my instincts in check...seriously._} He got off his bed and started to look for some proper clothes to go outside with.

He needed to get his thoughts together, and he found that a good meal and talking to somebody who wasn't biased would help.

OOO

**In Another District Of Konoha...**

Being the jonin leader of a group of one of the more odd pairs of genin she'd ever seen, Kurenai of course had her hands full all the time. Being the tracker team, she also had to contend with the fact that none of them mixed well at the beginning. Either way, she'd made progress with them.

So here she was, wearing a gray cotton sweater and a pair of black leggings, lounging on her couch and watching the science channel on tv. It was a well earned break, and she thanked Mother Nature for letting it rain today. Not all shinobi duties were halted, but most _were_, her's included.

'Knock Knock'

"Coming, I'll be right there." In truth, she hadn't been expecting company. She didn't think it was Anko, because that crazy woman liked to sleep in on days like these, and she pretty much believed all the guys were in the same boat, so maybe Hana?

Imagine her surprise when she opened the door and saw young Naruto with a grin on his face. "Hey Kurenai-sensei, would you like to go get a bite to eat? My treat." For a moment she just looked at him. The blond coming to talk to _her_ of all people was quite interesting. She smiled. "I was actually feeling a little hungry, and was a bit too lazy to cook. Come in and I'll get ready." To see him grow such a happy expression certainly got her attention.

Why did he suddenly want to take her out to breakfast?

"Heheh, okie dokie." Quickly drying his feet and setting his shoes inside, he followed her to her living room. "Wow, it smells really nice in here." She turned to see him puff his chest out and get a real big whiff, and she couldn't help but giggle. "Thanks Naruto-kun. So what's the occasion?"

Naruto gave her that goofy grin, which she remembered used to look very cute when he was a youngster. "Ah, well, I just wanted to talk with you. I know a lot of people and I think spending time with all of them let's them know that I have their backs, no matter what. Plus, what guy in his right mind doesn't want to hang out with one of the prettiest ladies in Konoha?"

Kurenai giggled to herself and shook her head. "I'm a few years too old for you, Naruto-kun, but I appreciate the sentiment. Anyway, let me go get my jacket."

"Sure thing." Sitting himself down on her comfy couch, Naruto then rested his elbows on his knees and started to think. He wasn't exactly sure how he should go about this, but he knew he had to do it.

Kurenai was the _only_ one. Only _she_ was the answer right now. He grinned to himself and chuckled, appearing like a little kid. "Okay Naruto-kun, I'm ready." She had just went for something that would cover her from the rain, but Naruto thought it looked good on her. "You've got style. Me, not so much, haha."

Oh yes, Naruto's sudden attention for her was definately something she wanted to understand. "So where did you want to go? I'm assuming it's that ramen stand you and your father like so much."

As they stepped outside of the house and she locked it, Naruto smiled. "That would be nice, but I'm sure you don't want ramen for breakfast. And anyway, I wanted to go eat somewhere _you_ like, and preferably a place where we can have a little privacy to ourselves. We couldn't really get that if we went to Ichiraku's."

Privacy?

Kurenai looked at him curiously. Well, that was odd, why would he want both of them to be out of hearing or visual range from anybody? Whatever the case, his warm smile told her it was for the right reason.

Thunder lightly boomed up in the clouds. "Heheh, okay Naruto-kun, I know just the place."

"Ladies first." With a now charming grin on his face, he motioned for her to go first. She giggled and lightly punched him on the arm, beginning to walk down the steps. "You know even though it's raining, I like it when it lightly drizzles like this. It's pretty calming, don't you think?" Naruto's observation of the matter actually surprised Kurenai.

She hadn't thought of it like that before, just weather to avoid. She voiced this thought. "I actually didn't think of it that way before, but I think you're right. Heheh, I initially thought you didn't think about that kind of thing."

As they walked side-by side, down the road and passing a few fellow villagers, Naruto chuckled. "See, that's why hanging out with you is a good thing right now. It helps you know what I think about, and how I think about _you,_ and it let's us build a stronger relationship." Something in the way Naruto said that...was a bit peculiar.

{_What he thinks of me, or that he _thinks_ about me?_} It was something to take note of, but she didn't think too hard on it. "That's very true. And that's another thing I didn't think you would think about. Just about all your fellow genin don't have that kind of mindset, so I applaud you Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked at her with his foxy grin. "Thanks. I'm glad someone I care about actually knows how to see the good in what I try to do with my time." Kurenai smiled at him, but then again caught onto something.

Someone he _cared_ about?

Huh.

"So what's this place you have in mind?" His gaze when up to the clouds. "I'm actually like really hungry. But I guess you know that, being an older woman who's probably seen one-to-many habits a lot of guys usually have. Hey, that reminds me..." When he scratched his cheek and seemed to hesitate, Kurenai tilted her head in curiosity.

"Yes Naruto-kun?" Seeing the innocence in her eyes, Naruto couldn't help but ask. "Uh...do you...um...do you get approached by a lot of guys all the time?" By the end of the sentence he was almost whispering, as if he'd get in trouble.

Kurenai blinked. That was an odd question. And...was he _blushing_? "Yes actually. I don't know how I'm so known across the village, but a lot of men seem to think they can have my attention whenever they want." If she had been curious before, she was now _shocked_ to see Naruto's fists clench and his suddenly tightened expression.

Was he actually _mad_ about this fact? Why would he be so concerned about how she seemed to recieve unwanted attention like that? His next response further confused her. "So a lot of assholes who think with their asses try and get you in bed." In all honesty, Kurenai didn't see it that way, and aside from being surprised at his sudden usage of cursewords, she couldn't help but feel glad that he seemed to be protective of her.

"Easy Naruto-kun, it's okay. If that were the case, I'd cast a genjutsu around me all the time to make me invisible." His sudden look of calm told her she got through.

He then turned to her and smiled. "That's...good to know. You're really beautiful Kurenai-sensei, and I just hate how that could've been the case. There's just too many guys out there like that that just make me want to shred things apart. Crazy, I know, but as someone I care about, I don't want those kind of bad elements to come to you, you know?"

The honesty in his voice and warmth of his charming expression was just enough to make the woman's cheeks slightly pink, even if it did sound pretty corny. She giggled. "Well, aren't you the considerate one? Thank you again, Naruto-kun."

_**Ten Minutes Later...**_

"Whoa, it smells _nice_." Naruto was reffering of course to the smell of fresh biscuits and fried foods, one of the rarer things to find in the village. "Good huh? I found this place by chance a few years ago and I found that I like it _very_ much. Come on, let's get some food."

Being a place that had cubicles for people, 'The Huntsman' had the requirements Naruto had wanted, and the restaurant also had plenty of diverse foods that you really didn't find anywhere else in the village, and now that Naruto was introduced to it, well, it's more than likely he was going to have another place to go to when he was hungry.

Walking inside, they came up to a podium with a waitress behind it. "Hello there! Welcome to The Huntsman! Table for two then?" She was a younger girl, but it was obvious she knew how to do her job. "Yes please." Kurenai watched as Naruto grinned at the girl and took a look around at the place.

Some fine pottery all around and pictures of animals from various environments, all of them probably on the menu. "Ok, please follow me." With another smile, the girl began to walk.

Because it was morning time and still raining a little outside, Naruto expected there to be only a few customers right now. Imagine his belly's sudden feeling of emptyness when he saw that there were actually many people, and _all_ of them had chosen meals that Naruto hadn't seen before, but looked _very_ delicious.

Kurenai found it cute to see Naruto's look of surprise and hunger at the diversity in food at this restaurant. "And here we are, of course, take your time with your choices and I'll be right back with complimentary steak sandwiches." Naruto hadn't heard of that concept before, but it sure as hell sounded good.

He eagerly took the menu and started looking through, as if he'd forgotten Kurenai was even there. "Bison steak, chopped pork, chicken sandwhich-oh! That sounds good!" The thing he also liked was that thi place and it's patrons didn't seem to have anything against him.

They were mostly younger people, so he could understand. Good for him, huh?

OOO

**Elsewhere...**

'drip'

'drip'

'drip'

Having been given a break by the boss himself, a familiar red-haired girl was on her front, atop her bed, reading a novel. She didn't usually have time for hobbies, but this was one of those times where she _did_.

The thing she hated however was the fact that they were underground instead of within an _actual_ village, where she could have her own place with windows and everything. Just having a lamp to light up her room was one of the things she hated, along with those damn pipes for water circulation, which _always_ seemed to have kinks in them. She could understand why Orochimaru would want to stay hidden, since he _was_ a criminal.

But at the same time, her patience for living in dark places was really starting to wear thin.

_"So...If I can ask...are you happy living the life you're living?"_

Tapping her book, she sighed. Ever since she got back from her last mission with Kimimaro, a certain blond boy kept invading her mind. If she were so smart as to admit it to herself, she would realize that yes, she had actually _enjoyed_ the time she had spent with him, unlike now.

Now, she honestly didn't know what to make of being here. She had felt it. She _felt_ the disappointment and discontent in Naruto's chakra when she had begun to take her leave. Even though she felt she was obligated to continue to serve her superior...a part of her didn't want to come back here.

Rather...it had wanted to stay with _him_, the charming teen who actually gave her some form of attention.

_"I mean...you say you don't have any friends...aren't you sick of the way you're living? Don't you want to go somewhere where people actually appreciate you?"_

When his warm and affectionate smile surfaced in her mind...her eyebrow twitched. "Argh..." She shook her head and growled to herself. "I've got plenty of shit to live for here..." She knew full-well when she was lying to herself, and even though it was rare, now was one of those times.

She just didn't want to acknowledge it. She didn't know why, but something in her was stopping her from making a solid conclusion out of everything from spending that time with Naruto, and all the time she had spent living her life like now.

And even if she could, what would she do with the knowledge? What _could_ she do? As far as she was concerned, she was pretty much stuck in service to her master for _life_.

She rolled over and looked up at the ceiling, her right knee lifted.

Yeah, when she put it that way, the reality of it hit home a lot harder. "..." With just a purple shirt and black shorts on, her hat off, anyone would mistake her for just a normal girl. In reality...she kind of wanted to be that.

A _normal_ girl, with a _normal_ life...with people who _appreciate_ her. When she thought of that possibility, Naruto was the first thing to pop up. She had a look of contemplation. {_Well, that guy proved to me it's possible..._}

Regardless of anything that happened, one thing was for sure. For whatever the reason, from the very _start_, when she first _sensed_ his chakra and then saw him...something in the girl told her to go after him. Not like in a romantic way or anything dramatic like that, but like in nature when a female of any species realizes that of all the males present, only _that_ one was the most..._capable_.

Whether it was protecting her or working in unison with her, there was always that _one_ that filled the requirements she had, all at one-hundred percent. Although, even if it was a logical way of interpereting it...she was able to admit, at least to a small degree...that Naruto was very..._warm_.

Whether she liked it one way or the other was something she didn't want to think about, because it kind of scared her. These new emotions she had never experienced before were something she still didn't understand, so it was the very reason she had been so hesitant in accepting Naruto's offer.

Shouldn't _any_ girl be wary of some charming guy that seemed to find her very interesting?

_"I asked because...well, Konoha, my home might be a place you'd like if you ever decided you wanted to move there. I'd be glad to help you out."_

She sighed again, bringing her left arm to rest across her forehead. Who gave a shit about her teammates? They were all so blindly devoted to their master that they would do whatever it took to please the man. They didn't care about their own lives, only to serve him, and plus, they enjoyed killing.

Before, that might have been the case for her as well, but now...

_**"YOU HAVE A LOT OF HATE BOTTLED UP INSIDE YOU, UNLIKE THAT PATHETIC TOOTHPICK SITTING NEXT TO YOU. FOR THE MOST PART, HE HAS VERY LITTLE OF IT."**_

From what she understood from the fox, it seemed Naruto was someone that could help her with something...but what? Aside from apparently getting rid of the 'hate' inside of her, what else could Naruto offer?

_"...I know I'm just some stranger, but from what I know about you, I think I want to help you."_

She remembered then. {_Is that..._dummy_ so sure he can offer me a place to live in his home town?_}

'Dummy,' now that was a word she had never used before.

The more and more she thought about it, the harder it was for her to not change her mind. The only reason she came back was because she didn't know what to make of Naruto's kindness, and then the fact that Kimimaro would have killed her if she had decided to stay, or at least that's what she thought. True, she might have been able to break off from her master's service if Kakashi had been present...but she didn't think of it at the time.

_"Anyway Tayuya...I know you're a kunoichi, and I know we live in two different countries, but, something just tells me that if I let you go back home and never think about you again...you might end up having something terrible happen to you."_

For once in a long time...she felt a sense of emptiness...and fear. She grew a scowl to mask a feeling inside of her she didn't know what to make of.

"Yo Tayuya, you in there?"

The girl's eyes narrowed. "The fuck do you want, Sakon?" Now that she heard that fucker's voice, she suddenly wished Naruto was around. "Heheh, don't be like that, I was just going to ask you if you wanted to eat some sweetrolls before Jirobo goes eating the last of them."

She snorted.

More like the twin-freaks wanted her attention just for the hell of it. There was no camaraderie between her and the other three, and almost every time she spent even _three_ minutes around either of them, they pissed her off. But now that the arrogant bastard mentioned it, a sweet roll sounded good right about now. She needed something sweet to get her out of her current..._conflicted_ mood.

"Alright whatever. Don't even try coming in here, the door's locked." Since she knew how lecherous the bastard was, if his and the others getting drunk was anything to go by, she knew she had to get out of her tight shorts, or at least wear some baggy pants over them.

She did just that, and put her hat on. Taking the key to her room, and her flute, she opened the door to see a smirking Sakon with his hand on his hip. Why he wore that lipstick Tayuya would never know. "You seem to be mad about something. Wanna talk about it?" The cheshire grin he suddenly had made the girl's blood boil.

"Don't even start. Move it." She locked her door and put the key in her pocket. "Ooo, touchy. So how was that mission with your secret lover? I know he can be a bit cold but the ladies tell me he's quite the hunk."

Not even four fucking steps and _already_ her anger meter was about to burst. "Sakon, I'm _warning_ you. Shut. The Fuck. Up." Keeping her eyes forward, as if she would gain nightvision to help see in these dark hallways, she kept walking. "It was boring most of the time except when I got to kick some ass. Those damn prisoners are fucking animals."

"Oh yeah? Well it was pretty boring without you also. Kidomaru was telling me he didn't have anyone to get wasted with." Tayuya scowled. The last time they all got drunk, excluding her, Kidomaru tried to make out with her.

She broke his jaw that day.

"Stupid bastard can go get fucked by a horse for all I care." Honestly, it was gross to see how he made his web, and she didn't want his mouth anywhere near hers. The head behind Sakon's started to chuckled. "What's wrong with getting a little tipsy, Tayuya?"

"Everything. That's how people ruin their fucking lives Ukon."

"Heh, right. So what's on your agenda for today?" Sakon was the one to respond.

"None of your fucking business. Where the hell are Kidomaru and Jirobo?" Getting the attention off of her was the best she could think of doing right now. She also seemed to be saying 'fucking' a lot. "Kidomaru's asleep and Jirobo was out doing some chores for Lord Orochimaru." Having passed a few rooms, they were already getting close to the cafeteria.

"Hn. And Kimimaro?" Sakon already knew she what she was trying to do, and smirked. "Don't know. Last I saw he was out in the training area testing out Dosu's team. Apparently they're gonna be sent to the chunin exams." On the inside, Tayuya felt a little sorry for them.

Kimimaro was _brutal_ when it came to training.

They walked towards the serving area. Taking one of the serving platters, Tayuya went for some of the brazed pork slices and a few breadsticks. She then went for her cherished sweetrolls. Not waiting for the twins, she walked off after getting a good size portion of other foods and sat her bottom down.

However, right as she was about to bite into one of the dumplings...

_"Eh, I don't have enough money to order anything else."_

_"I'll pay. We can order a basket of dumplings if you'd like."_

Naruto's goofy grin came back to her mind. She suddenly scarfed the thing down, barely remembering to chew it properly. {_Focus Tayuya, you're in the fucking hideout of the sound ninja._}

OOO

**Some Time Later...Elsewhere...**

"..."

{_'Follow your instincts but use your mind to filter and process them so that you can rationally make a solid conclusion or action.' That sounds a lot more complicated then it probably should be._} The time he had spent with Kurenai was pretty good, but making sense of his current troubles wasn't fully realized.

So here he was now, walking the streets, the rain thankfully having decided to be very light, just sprinkling now. He didn't have a particular destination in mind. He felt that perhaps the calming sounds of nature would be enough to help him relax and focus better. Well, if he had been trying to relax, it wasn't helping.

But maybe it was just him. {_Ah man...I don't think I've EVER been this worried about a stranger...What the heck? ARGH! FOCUS YOU IDIOT!_} He rubbed his temples so as not to draw any unwanted attention to himself.

The bottom line was this: He KNEW that being able to sense Tayuya's chakra was the first and foremost important thing, then he had to take into account what she told him about her personal life, and finally, he knew that she had never known better until _he_ met her. All that told him that he had to _find_ her.

Every time he thought that he wasn't going to get the chance to meet up with her again, a very _foreboding_ feeling literally seemed to disrupt his _own_ chakra.

_WHY_ was that? What sort of connection did he have to her? As he thought of it, his cheeks puffed when he remembered the misunderstanding that he and Kurenai had had.

When he and Kurenai had been eating, the way he had been talking to her had actually made her think that he had a crush on her. He had been so nervous about approaching the subject of Tayuya that he had unintentionally made it appear that he was about to confess to her.

_Flashback_

Kurenai lightly sipped her tea and watched Naruto quietly, while said blond was scratching his cheek and looking elsewhere. Both were feeling strange, but for entirely different reasons. Naruto had been mumbling the entire time, trying to tell her about Tayuya, which for some reason was nerve-wracking, and Kurenai was a little flustered, because from the way Naruto had been talking, even from when he offered to take her to lunch, she grew the impression that he had feelings for her.

And as you can guess, that scared the hell out of her, because one, he was a genin, and two, because she was an older woman. Oh and of course, three, as cute as it was for a young boy to have a crush on her, it _really_ was somewhere she didn't want to go, no matter how much she liked that he was so considerate about her. "A-Anyway, Kurenai-sensei...um...I don't know how to tell you this...it's just that..." He made eye contact with her, and with her hands in her lap, she leaned forward.

What the hell was he gonna say?

"Y-Yes Naruto-kun?" She would admit, Naruto would be something when he grew up, and for the life of her, she couldn't _believe_ she was blushing.

However, Naruto sighed and banged his head on the table. "I met this girl a while back, and I can't stop thinking about her."

You could just hear a pin drop after that, but with his face flat against the table, he couldn't see Kurenai with her bosom now squished against the table and with one of the most surprised looks she had ever had in her life on her face. He would have laughed, because even her eyes had shrunk in that classic anime manner when she realized there was nothing to worry about. "O-Oh."

_End Flashback_

When he explained the circumstances, even how he could sense Tayuya's chakra, she had been a lot more reserved. And when she explained how she had gotten the impression that he had a crush on her, he busted out laughing and apologized, because he knew he must of made her uncomfortable. Thankfully, she laughed with him and told him it was fine, though he noticed she seemed slightly unfocused after the whole fiasco.

Hmm.

Anyway, Naruto snickered and shook his head. She had been a lot of help, even though her last words to him didn't make much sense either than just being the obvious. Looking up and sticking his tongue out a little to catch whatever droplets he could, he wondered what he should do.

Oh yeah, he was supposed to go 'meet up' with somebody.

Two somebodies that is. He sighed and looked in a certain direction. {_She's probably going to nag me for not seeing her when I got back, but whatever. I wonder if they're both home._} From here, he changed directions and headed for the more clean and sophisticated district of Konoha.

**About Twenty Two And A Half Minutes Later...Because Naruto Was Just That Lazy...**

He saw the house there, uphill and with the lights on. Smirking, he calmly went up the steps, and reached the door, not even bothering to look in the window to see who was there. He knocked three times and put his hands in his pockets with a relaxed expression. It was then that he heard footsteps...and then the door began to open...

"Hey Mom-mmph!" Not even three words and all Naruto saw was a silky red mane before he was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. "OH NARUTO-CHAN! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" From the side of his mother's head, his eyebrow twitched. How he _hated_ it when she called him that, much to the amusement of everybody else who witnessed it when she addressed him that way. "Mom, _for the last time_, I'm not your baby anymore. It's great to see you to." He would have pulled back if she hadn't lifted him in the air and started hugging tighter until he heard a loud 'POP' along his spine.

"Ggghh, okay, you can let me go now..." By now his voice was strained, but thankfully, she put him down and kissed his cheek with a big smile on her face. "Why didn't you come visit me after you got back?" Somehow, he knew she was hiding a deadly aura under her friendly expression, and he rolled his eyes. "I just got back _yesterday._ Are you gonna let me in or what?" He figured she would be at least understanding, but with his mother, he really shouldn't expect anything to make sense.

With a mischievous smirk, Kushina got him by the hand and pulled him in, slamming the door. "Come on in, we have a lot of catching up to do. I haven't seen you in a month, 'Mr. I Decided To Do An A-rank Level Mission On The Spot.'" She pushed him along and he allowed himself to be directed to wherever the hell she wanted him, which was probably the living room. Sure enough, when he opened the next door, his father could be seen on the couch, reading a book. "Hey Naruto, glad you could stop by. You don't come here very much."

{_For the love of..._} Naruto once again rolled his eyes. "I was on a mission for a long time. What did you guys expect?" He could hear it before it even came out of his mother's mouth. "We expected letters at least."

"Kakashi-sensei sent regular updates..." Naruto knew Kushina was just being herself, so he opted to take in the surroundings to see if they had changed much of anything since the last time he visited. His mother was wearing an orange T-shirt and blue jeans while Minato opted for black sweats and a blue turtleneck. Kushina pouted annd hugged her son again. "Yes, but _you _didn't send a single thing!" She whined.

Naruto loved his parents more than just about anything in the world, but sometimes they just worried a bit too much for his liking. It was mostly his mother, but Minato could be like that too. "And you wonder why I moved out..." He sighed in exasperation and kissed Kushina on the cheek. Just as he expected, she calmed down considerably with a goofy smile on her face. "So you can go on blind dates you mean?"

Minato was looking down calmly at his novel and said it an a nonchalant way, so Naruto immediately knew the fucker was referring to something. "What are you talking about?" He had a feeling that he knew what his father was ging to say, but without any evidence, he just plopped down onto the couch and looked at the man with a straight face.

Taking his sweet time, Minato marked the spot he was at and closed the book. Then, while Kushina giggled and ran into the kitchen, he leaned back and put his arm around his son's shoulders. "A little birdy told me you took Kurenai out earlier for some breakfast." He told Naruto, looking at his other hand, inspecting his fingernails. {_I knew it..._} Sighing, Naruto lightly punched the man in the side.

"Jealous?"

"Nope, just trying to confirm my theory."

"Did you have the Anbu following me around again?" When Minato coughed and looked away, Naruto knew he got him. "You know it would be nice if I could my life without the people watching my every move. What am I gonna do when I get a girlfriend and you're over there sending them tinkerbells my way?" At this comment, Kushina chose to walk in with a platter, three bowls on it.

From the smell, Naruto already knew he had gotten hungry again.

"You mean this 'Tayuya' I've heard so much about?" From the way she gave him that shit-eating grin, Naruto knew he wouldn't hear the end of it for the entirety of this visit. He looked at Minato with a twitching eyebrow, and the man started whistling. "What did you tell her? I thought I made it clear after what Sasuke crammed down your throat that the situation is a lot more complicated than _that._"

It was no secret to anyone how much Naruto's parents _loved _ the idea of Naruto having a girlfriend, so for them to hear that Naruto met a pretty young lady on the job was gold. "So what was she like? Was she pretty? Did she have a big butt?" Naruto rubbed his temples, knowing ful-well what the answer to that was. "I can't understand your lingo. Try again next time." He calmly took one of the bowls and started to eat.

It was evident to Minato and Kushina that he didn't want to talk about it, and they looked at each other for a second. "You have a crush on her don't you?" Kushina asked coyly. Naruto glanced at her calmly. "Let me just tell you why she's been on my mind." From this, Kushina and Minato thought that they were finally get a glimpse at a possible happy future for their son.

Of course, that was the last thing on his mind. The fact was, he had already spoken to Kurenai on how to approach the girl, so the thing that mattered now was telling his parents the actual importance of his connection to Tayuya.

"When we first got to Wave, I decided to look around. And after a whole day of helping to make a difference there, eventually, I sensed a chakra signature." He caught their attention there, and they stayed silent. "I didn't think much of it at first, until I realized that being able to sense a particular person's chakra was abnormal." He set his bowl down and adjusted his position on the couch.

He continued. "Only a few days ago, when the bridge was being finished, I met the person. We talked, but the thing that stuck to me was that she hasn't been living a great life. When I realized we had a lot in common, I told her that I would be willing to help her start a new life here. Basically, for whatever the reason, I can't stop worrying about her." If there was anything to consider right now, it was the possibility that Tayuya could be in danger.

There wasn't anything to directly say she was in danger, but Naruto's instincts continued to pester him.

Being the more considerate of the two, Minato took what Naruto said and started analyzing it, but Kushina wasn't exactly convinced. "Is that your way of saying you have a crush on her?" Naruto looked at her for a second wondered how the hell he was going to get anything through to her. Luckily however, his father spoke up. "Kushina, take this a bit seriously. Anyway Naruto, you said you can sense her chakra?"

"Yeah. I don't know what the deal is but I can sense her when she's close enough. Like I said, she's pretty much the only person that I can sense that way. She had trouble accepting what was willing to help her with, and that tells me that she's probably in a difficult situation right now." When he thought back to those moments where she was thinking, and had a conflicted mood, Naruto couldn't help but feel a little furious with himself, as if he could have done more.

His father and mother looked at each other. They loved Naruto more than the world, and as always, when he needed to talk about something, they were ready to help him however they could. Stroking her hair a bit, Kushina smiled warmly and looked Naruto in the eye. "Tell us more Naruto-chan."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched.

OOO

**Elsewhere...**

Luckily for Tayuya, Sakon had left her alone after a little while, so now she could walk around in peace. She didn't have a particular destination in mind, so here she was, just wandering about in the hallways of the hideout. Actually, now that she thought of it, she had been wanting to by new things for herself, and there was a town nearby. And, even if he hadn't said anything, she knew that Kimimaro had been affected by Naruto.

She hadn't cared much about talking to him because of how almost zealous he was about Orochimaru, but she sure as hell respected his strength. So, making her decision, she chose her first destination. Last she heard, the bone-bender was out with the genin squad that would be sent to the chunin exams. If she remembered correctly, they had a bit of a mission to complete while they were there.

And then, there was to consider what Orochimaru had planned. He had told her and the other four that his intentions were to destroy the hidden leaf, but also kill the Third Hokage. She honestly didn't know _why_ Orochimaru would want to try something that crazy. She did her homework, and the tales of what the Sandaime and Yondaime could do were pretty terrifying.

Of course, as soon as she thought about the fact that she would have to go to Konoha, she suddenly started thinking about Naruto. Try as she might, she couldn't get him out of her head. She clenched her fists and sighed. {_He should probably just kill me when he finds out I'm in league with one of the worst criminals in the history of his village..._} It seemed appropriate to her. After realizing that he had been spending time with a cold-hearted murderer, Naruto taking her life from hiding something so important just made so much sense that she almost accepted it as something that would happen.

But...she remembered that Naruto wasn't that kind of guy. He was someone that would completely understand why she has lived the way she has, and as memories from when she spent time with him went through her head, she smirked. {_Bastard would probably break his own arm instead of trying to hurt me..._} When she thought that, she put her hand on her face.

She was pretty sure she was blushing.

That there was also another thing. Why on earth was she feeling all these strange emotions and experiencing these weird physical reactions? Before, she was always either calm or pissed, she never felt anything thing else. But when _Naruto_ came along, she started feeling positive things like giddiness, mirth, eagerness, _attraction,_ things like that.

She bit her lip in frustration and glared ahead.

As much as her tomboy persona wanted to strangle him, another part of her just wanted to...be _around_ him, and she couldn't _believe_ that. Her face really wanted to show how she was feeling by simply thinking of the blond goof, but her instincts were forcing her to keep it all bottled up. Regardless, she could no longer deny that feeling positive was a wonderful feeling, and she wanted to experience it more.

Of course, there were still complications. She was not exactly a good person, and as has been stated, she was in servitude to Orochimaru. The only thing stopping her from leaving was the curse mark and the fear of how the sannin would handle her betrayal. That, and she feared more than anything what Naruto would think if he found out kind of person she was.

She shook her head fiercely. {_No, Naruto-kun is a better man than that._} Once again, her cheeks warmed at having thought of him in good faith. She still wondered how the fuck he managed to squirm his way through all her defenses and mananaged to reach a part of her she didn't know she had. But, she gave him credit, because no one else had ever managed that.

And...she had to admit, in addition to being friendly and considerate, he was...attractive.

She shook her head. {_If I ever admit to liking that idiot...I'll kill myself..._}

Yeah right.

OOO

Author's Note: There you have it. :D

So yeah, Kurenai's misunderstanding with Naruto was just for the fun of it, cuz she's one of the characters that doesn't get enough screen time.

Also, lo and behold, Kushina and Minato are ALIVE! What other good things are present, hmm? Heheh.

Anyway, like I said, to really understand the dynamics I see between Naruto and Tayuya, listen to Ships In The Night. It's what its speaks that maters.

Thank you all, and I will see yall next time.


End file.
